1 Corinthians 3:1-9
And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according to human inclinations? For when one says, ‘I belong to Paul’, and another, ‘I belong to Apollos’, are you not merely human?
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
Reflection - Grow Up!
As Christians, we go out into the world as commanded. Some into the world far and wide, other's out into the world in which God places them. Some go into the world to serve and some go into the world to work at and use the gifts God has graciously given them. But in any case we go out into the world, even if that world is our very own home. We go out to proclaim the crucified and risen Jesus Christ, who is God and came into this world and our world and the world of all we reach out to, to grant eternal life and freedom from sin, death and the devil.
Yes, we all go out in one form and in many forms. Not in any way to bring or draw attention to ourselves, but rather, in much the same way as John the Baptist, to point to Jesus. For as we go out to water and plant God's seed of salvation, it is God that is the focus. It is God through the Holy Spirit that brings to life those in this world. We go out bearing the fruit of God in our daily lives through what we do and what we say in Christ. So, it's true as Paul states in this passage above... we are God's servants going out into God's field, God's building.
As we go out and follow Christ we begin to grow and mature. We search and seek and listen to God's Word in Scripture and begin to grow in faith. God builds and grows our faith and we grow in our strength and the message of salvation comes to life within each of us. We walk in sin but are not held in the traps and chains of sin and we repent, forgive, obey and walk with God. Yes, we slowly mature in faith. It's not like we become more significant. God loves us so much, Jesus died and rose from death for us, we are already significant to God, but it's like we begin to bear the fruit of God's work in our lives and our faith becomes real and tangible through what God does in and through us each day. The significance and the center of all we do is in God through Jesus Christ with the power and glory of the Holy Spirit alive and active.
This song expresses the joy we all can have in our growth in faith through Jesus Christ. I want to be Billy forever! I know it's a commercial, but what better way to grow in faith than with this attitude of joy in growing up.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWTiv0srfjE
Prayer
Lord, I have to admit, this growing up in faith and maturing is way too much fun to ever have it stop. I don't want to grow up, I just want to follow in your will and your way and continue to grow... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen
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