All Glory To God

July 24

2 Chronicles 29-30

Psalm 83:13-18

Proverbs 18:22-24

I Corinthians 3

All Glory To God

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth.  So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”  I Corinthians 3:6-9  LSB

This passage is very comforting to me because it gives me assurance that I’m not responsible for the outcome of my service.  I am a planner and an organizer.  God has given me the gift of administration.   If you need to plan a party, a conference, VBS, an event, a wedding, etc., I’m your girl.  I can figure out all the things that need to be done and coordinate people to do them.  I’m even pretty good at motivating other people to help carry it out.  But the thing that stresses me out is the outcome, the lasting benefits.  I can make the event come off successfully, but I can’t determine how people will react or what their take-away will be.  I can’t make people respond the way I want them to.  This passage tells me that I don’t have to worry about that.  I just have to do my part.  I play one small part in the puzzle.  We each just have to do our part and then God does the rest.  Ultimately, His part is the most important part.  He could do it all without me if necessary, but He allows me the privilege of participating in the process. 

Whether it is sharing the gospel with someone, showing the love of Jesus by providing a meal, giving money to support missions, or any other act of service God prompts me to do, I am just one part of the equation.  Even if I can’t see the results of my efforts, I can trust that God is at work to accomplish His plans.  He is the true gardener who changes hearts and minds. This metaphor is especially helpful when we are telling people about Jesus.  Rarely does someone come to faith after hearing about Jesus the first time.  It is usually a process.  Someone plants the seed, another waters, someone else plucks up the weeds around the seed, someone different waters the soil again, and eventually the seed sprouts and faith takes root.  God uses several people and circumstances to bring people to the point of faith.  We each do our part.  We certainly are responsible for doing what He calls us to do.  We serve and obey and participate but we recognize that the end result rests solely on His capable shoulders and not on ours.  He deserves all the glory and honor for anything that is accomplished because He is the one who causes any growth to occur.  We will each receive rewards for the labor we have done in service to Him, but we will recognize in humility that any service we did was a blessing and benefit to us as well and a result of the work He accomplished in our lives to mature our faith so that we could serve Him.