For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 1 Corinthians 3:9
On July 29, 1955, the United States of America announced its intent to place satellites in space. Soon after, the Soviet Union declared its plans to do the same. The space race had begun. The Soviets would launch the first satellite (Sputnik) and place the first human in space when Yuri Gagarin orbited our planet one time. The race continued until, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” on the surface of the moon would unofficially end the competition. A season of cooperation soon dawned, leading to the creation of the International Space Station.
Sometimes competition can be healthy, driving us to achieve things that otherwise we might not have attempted. At other times, however, competition is destructive. This was a problem in the church at Corinth as different groups latched on to various church leaders as their beacons of hope. Paul sought to address that when he wrote, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7), concluding “for we are co-workers” (v. 9).
Co-workers—not competitors. And not just with one another but with God Himself! Through His empowering and His guidance, we can serve together as fellow workers to advance the message of Jesus, for His honor rather than our own.
When have you experienced unhealthy competition, and what was it like? How does Jesus help you humbly serve others?
Loving God, thank You for the privilege of serving You. Please teach me the value of working to honor You and help others.
INSIGHT
In 1 Corinthians 3:1, Paul addressed his hearers (the struggling church in Corinth) as “worldly,” saying, “I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit.” He called them “mere infants in Christ.” The most shocking symptom of their spiritual malaise is that the people tolerated blatant sin in the church (5:1). But Paul seems more concerned about the multiple divisions among them, a topic he raised in the first chapter of this letter. Noting how church members were aligning themselves with various leaders, including Apollos, Cephas (Peter), and himself (1:12), he asked in exasperation, “Is Christ divided?” (v. 13). Now in chapter 3, he comes back to that theme when he says, “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe” (v. 5). What’s vital is to live by the Spirit of Christ, which binds us in loving unity.