As I write this, it’s a beautiful winter morning, and I’m not thinking of gardening! But it’s hard not to use a gardening analogy when the verse is using it. I don’t want you to tune out if you’re NOT a gardener. Perhaps you don’t have a green thumb, don’t want to have one, and nothing about it interests you. That’s okay. God gave us all different interests and abilities. If not, the world would be a very boring place. The key is that we are all made in His image – so we all have gifts and passions and creativities that reflect Him. We are all His gardening tools! And thankfully, for those of you who don’t love gardening, the analogy in our verse for today isn’t going to get in the weeds.

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Whether you love gardening or not, Jesus uses the analogy often, and in this passage, so does Paul. Paul’s main point is that we need to remember who we are in relation to God. It’s His garden. It’s His power. To fully understand and get out of the garden, we need to go back to the intent of this letter.

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In this letter to the church in Corinth, Paul refers to himself and to Apollos. Who is Apollos? Apollos was also a leader in the early Corinthian church, as well as the church in Ephesus. The most important background fact comes from 1 Corinthians 1:12, where we learn that there was some division in the church in Corinth. Some were saying that they followed Paul, while others were team Apollos. It got worse – some said they followed Cephas (Peter), while others Christ. Yikes! We may look at this and shake our heads thinking, what an immature mess. But, let me ask you – do you have a “favorite” pastor?  

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Paul is addressing this division when he says, “I planted the seed.” He had planted the Corinthian church. But he acknowledges that Apollos watered it. Apollos poured into the church with teaching and care. He played a role. And then comes the “but.” This is the leveling word here – it doesn’t really matter who planted or who watered because God is the one making the growth occur. He is behind the whole thing. When we forget that, we allow ourselves to think we are more important than we are, and we focus too much on a person or leader instead of the God who is empowering their ministry.

Let’s reread 1 Corinthians 3:7: “So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who makes things grow.”  

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I am not anything without the power of God. He is EVERYTHING. I am simply a tool in His work. And isn’t it really amazing that He chooses to use us as His tools? When we get ahead of ourselves, thinking we are pretty amazing, we need to stop and get perspective. It is amazing – that God, who has all power and authority, would choose to redeem us as sinners and then use us to accomplish His Kingdom movement on Earth. Be grateful that you don’t have to carry the responsibility but can entrust that to Him as you do the part He has called you to.  

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So, plant this week. Water away. These are the things we are called to do as we make disciples, but always remember that we do so in the power of the Holy Spirit. Without Him, we are nothing. And ultimately, the growth is up to God. Don’t get discouraged if the growth takes longer than you’d like or get puffed up if it’s faster than you imagined. All glory to God!