The Problem
After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
One of the most positive things I got out of this pandemic is that I spent a great deal of time listening to sermons from different preachers on a given day. This was not a distraction from my current church although I changed churches right as the pandemic started. This was a way for me to get different messages that gave me greater awareness and perspective on things God might be trying to impress upon me. I remember a great lesson from one of my previous pastors. He reminded me that sometimes the message is not for you. I want to add on to that profound statement. When several of the messages fit under ‘the message is not for you,’ it does not mean you have outgrown the church. Instead, perhaps it is then you need to be more of a servant of the church and not just a consumer of it. We sometimes think that the church is the problem when in reality, it is us.
We believe we know what is best for us. I know how that usually works for me. Now I am not saying that we need to debate with God whether to tie our shoes or brush our teeth. I mean those things that you must think about a bit before choosing. It might be dealing with a relationship or a financial issue. My conversation goes, “God? Kent here. I think I know what to do here. I got this!” And then, there is the inevitable follow up discussion either days or weeks later. “God? You’re funny,” I chuckle as He reminds me that I need to rely solely on Him … as always. Last week, I talked about trusting the process. Today is about staying the course even when we think we know a better answer.
When God gives us direction, we must be careful not to be distracted by our own need to control the situation. In reading these verses in 1 Corinthians 3, Paul was providing the foundation for our spiritual growth. This is not a guess. Paul literally said this in the subsequent verses (Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 3:10-11). What is being said is that God has full control of the situation, but it requires us to be obedient. Looking at this from the pastor’s view, God is giving him a message to give to the congregation. Many need either to hear it or more clarity, but some of us may have full understanding of what he is teaching. This is one of ‘the sermon is not for you’ scenarios. It neither means the pastor is off nor losing his or her touch. Perhaps it is that moment for us to provide guidance to someone in the congregation who might be struggling with them. Better yet, it might be a subtle hint that God has prepared you to take a giant step forward to lead or do something like write a devotional. That’s something easy for me to share because before I started writing devotionals, I hated writing (no one laugh after reading one of my dossier level devotions). But just like writing is for me, you have spiritual gifts that are part of God’s plan to be used for the building of His Kingdom. We are all planters, waterers, and dare I say seeds. We do not seek glory for ourselves. God makes it all grow.
The building of God’s Kingdom is one that is done brick by brick. It requires us to put in some work not only on helping others but also submitting ourselves. We need to let God grow us so that we can assist others. “Jesus said, “How can I describe the Kingdom of God? What story should I use to illustrate it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of all garden plants; it grows long branches, and birds can make nests in its shade.” (Mark 4:30-32) Our goal is not to worry about how large or small our gifts are. It is to simply show up for God and let Him make things grow. Let us be receptive to that which God plants not only around us but also within us. Where do you often fight God’s wisdom? How can you allow space for Him to grow you? My prayer is that we realize in our problems with God, the problem is us. Amen.