1 Corinthians 3:6 Devotion

I am reading in 1 Corinthians, and there is so much there that  I seem to stop every few verses with an “aha!” moment. Today, I was reading 1 Corinthians 3:6 that says, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”  What a beautiful thing, that we are just called to do whatever the Lord has for us, and leave the results to Him. We are all called to “the mission field” but how God chooses to define that for each of us differs. No need for comparison.

Some of us will invite our next-door neighbor for a cup of coffee to start the planting, and some will travel around the world to water those whom others have planted. Our “yes”, that act of obedience, delights the Lord. It is the work He has called us to do. I believe that He doesn’t value one person’s effort in their work as more valuable than another’s. He values the “yes”. No need for comparison.

This verse also reminds me that when I see someone else’s ministry effort, we are actually on the same team. That’s the big picture. We are all in this together, in unity, co-laboring with Jesus to bring light into the darkness, to exchange joy for sorrow, peace for anxiety, to bring heart transformation through God’s free gift of our Savior. So when I see another person doing their work for God, I can see it with that perspective too. No need for comparison.

And then the last thing this verse reminds me is that I am not the source of change. Anything that results is not of me. I am a loving channel that God uses, taking full advantage of all the gifts and skills He planted in me. They were His to begin with, imparted to me for His use. I take no credit for the results; He gets the glory.