A Lesson from FarmingWhat, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow…..For we are God’s fellow workers….. – 1 Cor. 3:5-7, 9a Our family had the privilege of ministering for 7 years in the town of Butterfield, MN. The economy in Butterfield was based on growing corn and soybeans. As a result, I gained some insight into the rhythms and concerns of people dependant on the land for their livelihood. People in agriculture are keenly aware that their contribution to a successful harvest is pretty small. A farmer can buy good seed. They can prepare the ground with plowing and fertilizer. They can spray for bugs if needed. But beyond that, a good harvest is out of their control. They are not in charge of bringing sun or rain. They cannot hold back that a bout of cold weather or keep the hail away. Rather, the farmers I knew well had to trust God for a successful harvest. They did what they could and left the rest of God. Ministry is a lot like farming in that respect. In the passage above in 1 Corinthians 3, the apostle Paul is addressing a divisive issue in the church in Corinth. These believers placed great stock in following a person like Paul or Apollos. In doing that, they had lost sight of the fact that people in ministry are merely servants of God. Their responsibility is to faithfully do the things God sets before them and trust God for the harvest. Paul says that in the case of the Corinthian church, he planted the seed. Paul and his companions preached and the seed of the gospel was planted in hearts. Apollos came along afterward and watered that seed. Apollos was a gifted teacher (Acts 18:24-28) who watered the seed by providing spiritual food to the growing congregation in Corinth. But despite the prominent position of Paul and Apollos, it is clear that God is the one who makes things grow. As each of us look at ministry – whatever that looks like, wherever it happens in your life – it is tempting to get a do-it-all, do-it-ourselves attitude. But these verses remind us that God’s plan may differ. God may want us to only plant seeds or water seedlings. Our job is to carry out our responsibility faithfully as God’s fellow workers and trust God for the harvest. After all, real spiritual growth and change comes about in God’s power and God’s timing, not our own. So lets be faithful workers in God’s field, doing what we can, but trusting our heavenly Father for the harvest. In Christ,
Jeff Boschmann
Senior Pastor, |