Cancellations and Corinthians
Today’s been an interesting day. My head feels like it weighs 100 pounds from a cold I just contracted on Saturday. Looks like the bug’s bitten others too. My younger brother cancelled our meeting today b/c he’s sick. Once a month I coach him as a church planter and leader. Now, before you laugh at that, just remember, some of the worst players make good coaches. I can’t think of any examples right now, but I’m sure of it! If you’re interested in my coaching abilities, let me know and we’ll work something out! I’m blogging right now b/c I just learned of another cancellation. This one I became aware of while waiting for the person to arrive. When that person contacted me, they apologetically said, “i hope you’re not upset.” Upset? Look, cancellations are a gift from God, in my opinion. In a hectic work, margin is where you often make up for ministry gap! Did you get that? Margin is where you make up the ministry gap! While I could say I’m doing ministry all day long, which I am, except when I take a break to read the news or uga sports’ blogs, the truth is that some of the BEST ministry happens in the margin. Look at Jesus’ life. Pay attention to all the times he was interrupted. Now, maybe interruptions are different in your mind than cancellations. They are in that respect, but not when it comes to margin. Both create margin. Margin is often where major ministry happens. So, here’s the ministry that happened in my margin today. I continued some reading on 1 Corinthians 3. A couple of things messed me up. Maybe they’ll mess you up too!
- “6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” I love this reminder. We can work hard and others can work hard, but ultimately any successful ministry comes through God’s power and will. I’ve got a role to play and others have a role to play, but God’s got the major role to play! I’m just an extra and so are you. NOW, somebody’s gotta plant and somebody’s gotta water! SO GET ON IT!!!!!!! Remember this quote (which isn’t mine, btw): ”work like it’s all up to you. Pray like it’s all up to God!”
- “I planted the seed…” I might be overstepping my bounds here and it’s possible that I’ll lose any exegetical credibility I had with people that are concerned with exegesis. For those of you that don’t know what that is, don’t worry about it. BUT, here’s what I think Paul is saying with this statement and with the context of other verses in this chapter. He’s a PLANTER! He plants seeds. He lays foundations. That’s where his job ends and possibly his spiritual giftedness (at least in this situation and/or season of his life). Truth is, he was good at planting seeds. Imagine all the seeds he planted! There’s nothing wrong with being a seed planter and there’s nothing boastful about being a seed planter. Margaret Feinberg at the Nines conference compared two types of vitners. The one from Fresno she interviewed was responsible for growing thousands upon thousands of grapes for mass use! If Paul were a vitner, perhaps he’d be this kind, and not the second kind.
- “Apollos watered it…” While Paul plants, another spiritually gifted person takes the seed the next step! There are some planters and some waterers! The best part: It’s okay to be either one. There’s nothing wrong w/ being a planter or a waterer. The other vitner was from Napa Valley. His job was to take a few acres and grow the best grapes possible. The other was concerned and gifted for quantity, but this one is concerned and gifted for quality. Which vitner would you be and are you ok with that?
- “The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose…” What a great reminder that both are needed and both have the same purpose. What’s that purpose? Make disciples of Jesus Christ! Do you have people surrounding you who are concerned with and gifted to do the other role needed to achieve that one purpose?
- “… and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.” I’m reminded by this that sometimes I give and receive way too much credit for ministry results. I’m also reminded by this that sometimes I don’t give enough or receive enough credit for ministry results. Guess what? It doesn’t matter how much I give/withhold or receive/don’t receive b/c one day it will all be weighed out! The same’s true of you. If you receive a lot of reward on Earth, awesome! Just know that one day, it will all be weighed-out eternally. If you don’t receive enough reward on Earth, awesome! Just know that one day, it will all be weighed-out eternally.
Just some thoughts created by the margin of Cancellation and Corinthians!
