“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
“According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” 1 Corinthians 3:7-15
The Lord God had trained Paul to think rightly about ministry. Owning a natural inclination to pride, and aware of his religious and educational advantages, a grace-bought Paul knew that all came from Christ and returned all praise to Christ in light of His cross. He had much he could have boasted, but was driven by and focused on one thing alone: Jesus. Jesus proclaimed, Jesus crucified, Jesus glorified, known, and magnified. His every effort, once redeemed, was an accounting rooted in and built on the cause and power of his Savior. Any toil Paul invested was for His sake and the sake of those who would be eternally affected. (Acts 22:3; Romans 9:4-5; Philippians 3:4-8)
God cares about our work from the inside out. He frees us to employ our time and talent for His kingdom, and fiercely cares about our why and how. Since He is the One who assigns grace and gifts and makes effective and fruitful what we invest, our reward is based on how we handle what we’ve been entrusted. Thoughtful contributing and building with our best honors Him who is worthy.
Jealousy, strife, any kind of competition or comparison have no place in doing God’s work. Concern for notice or credit is an indication of sour motives, which the loving Lord can correct. Effort expended on the cheap or out of greed the Lord disdains, but can redeemed. His reward is a most gracious byproduct of work done for Him, tested and true.
How aligned are my mission motives with God’s for the world? What would the testing of my work for Him reveal?
“All for Jesus! All for Jesus!
All my being’s ransomed pow’rs,
all my thoughts and words and doings,
all my days and all my hours.
Let my hands perform his bidding,
let my feet run in his ways;
let my eyes see Jesus only,
let my lips speak forth his praise.
Since my eyes were fixed on Jesus,
I’ve lost sight of all beside;
so enchained my spirit’s vision,
looking at the Crucified.” ~Mary D. James (1810-1883)
Lord, purify my motives in all things to see You exalted and make You known.
As the rain and snow 