God Makes The Plant Grow

THE ONE WHO PLANTS AND THE ONE WHO WATERS REALLY DO NOT MATTER. IT IS GOD WHO MATTERS, BECAUSE HE MAKES THE PLANT GROW. 1 Corinthians 3.7

Once I was reading the ‘Every Home Crusade’ newsletter. I felt sorry for the young sister who visited a home with gospel literature and got punched in the eyes by an angry non-Christian! I prayed for her speedy recovery. I also prayed for divine protection on all those who carry the gospel, facing the challenges of the hostile fields and the fanatics around the world.

Do these people who sow the seeds with tears and trials matter to God and man? Yes! They DO! The apostle Paul’s statement in today’s text seems to contradict it! The reason is that he was faced with a situation in the Corinthian church where members were exalting their favourite leaders and belittling others! In order to show them the futility of their favouritism to one or the other, the great apostle said, “The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter!” He drew their attention from men who were but servants of God and said, “It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow!”

We live in times when ministries abound and they are mushrooming day-by-day all over the world. There is an increasing burden and urgency in the hearts of many to ‘reach the unreached people’ of the world with God’s love through any and every means available. Thank God for it. However, seeing the spate of ministries, the way they are run and even the character of their leaders, one feels that caution must be exercised by everyone who ventures out independently.

Thank God for the men and women who have begun ministries through much sacrifice and suffering. We must pray and support them. But many are starting their own ministries for self-aggrandisement (boosting their ego!). Some are initiating ministries for financial gain through unscrupulous ways of raising funds for building their kingdom and spending it lavishly on themselves! They are a slur on the name of God and the church and a bane to the society. Whatever their ministry, preaching, crusades, healing, prophesying, etc. all they want is fame and finances.

Dear believer, my prayer to God is that you will be involved in some work or ministry in the kingdom of God and in your church, to reach the unreached, bless the believers and care for the poor in the name of God and out of His love! But let your motive in doing anything for God or man be pure and unselfish. God will prosper your efforts. He will exalt you and make you rich spiritually and in every other way. Go ahead and begin to do some good deed to someone out of Christ's compassion and love. Keep doing things that count for eternity and do not spend all your precious life solely on things material and temporal that perish!

Pray and practise with me: Dear Lord, help me to serve You and the people with the purest of motives. May it be to bless others and glorify You and further Your kingdom. Amen.