5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and each will receive wages according to their own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.
I recently met with the clergy of our district and shared a reflection on 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. I chose this scripture because lately, I have been thinking about my journey. Occasionally, I questioned whether I was where I was supposed to be – where God wanted me to be. Part of this is because of my personality, and part is because I tend to focus on the things I cannot control.
Focusing on the things we cannot control may lead us to invest energy in the wrong endeavors, leading us to burnout, hopelessness, and even despair. The Corinthians argued about to whom they belong, Apollos? or Paul? Paul’s response is brilliant. It was not about to whom they belonged but about understanding the meaning of discipleship. In short, disciplining is about planting and watering seeds and trusting that God will do the rest.
As I reflected on my journey of serving God and God’s Church, I was reminded of when a seminarian gave me a note: “I see your ministry as a ministry of planting seeds. Do not get too stressed out; you are doing a good job planting seeds; just trust that God will do the rest.” As we approach the end of another Christian Year and start a new one with the season of Advent, what would it be like not to worry about the things we cannot control and invest our energy in what we can?
What we can control is the decision to plant or water a seed already planted. The good news is that God takes care of the rest. Whatever is causing you stress right now, God invites you to let go of what you cannot control and instead use the energy to pay attention to the field around you. Where can you plant a new seed? Where can you water a seed already planted?
Almighty God, help us embrace the invitation to be seed planters and to water the seed already planted in the fields around us. Amen.
