“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
In our world today, people celebrate the founders of a successful product or invention. In fact, we place high praise on these creators and masterminds. Hopefully, these well-known people are quick to defer credit to the other team members and researchers who helped to create whatever successful product.
In today’s Bible reading of 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about the process of seeing God at work in the lives of people as they come to faith or grow in their relationship with Jesus. He used the illustration of a farmer who plants the seed and then the process of watering the soil and watching the growth of the crop. The farmer doesn’t actually make the plant grow. All the farmer can do is provide the right environment for growth to happen, and trust in the miracle of life. We, as Christians, also do the same thing in ministering Jesus to other people. In God’s process of growth in the lives of people, He chooses to use different people and circumstances to help people come to know Jesus. Our response to God being in control of the growth is to not worry about who “gets the credit,” rather we should worship and praise God for working in the lives of people and drawing more people to faith in Christ.
When we focus on God and His perfect timing and submit to His choice of which person gets to plant and water and help a person to grow in their faith, then we won’t get frustrated on our role in the process. Let’s keep our eyes on God and pray for more people to come and know Jesus. Let’s not be worried about when the increase and growth happens, but rather be peacefully content with how God can use us in the process of growth and development in other followers of Jesus.