(1 Corinthians 3:5-11)…..Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Who is Paul, who is Apollos, who are we that loyalty, devotion should be showered upon us (men/women) who are only vessels for God’s use. Their role was as a vessel used by the Lord that others would believe, nothing more. In the church at Corinth some had an improper estimation of those who ministered to them, and their loyalty was to the men who were used by God to bring the gospel, and not to the Lord Himself. Were these men special, yes, they were to be listened to (Hebrews 13:17). But they are no more than ministers (servants, under rowers, the most menial slaves who rowed at the bottom of a ship) who were used by God to bring God’s Word to God’s people (1 Corinthians 4:1).
A minister of the Lord is not to be exalted above the one he/she serves. It is with our Lord Jesus Christ, Him alone, that our loyalty and devotion should be. This is the proper perspective of every believer called to serve the Lord (1 Timothy 1:12-17). It is the Lord Himself that gives opportunity for men like Paul, Apollos, Cephas, Lydia, and us to be able to minister to others. We are dependent on the Lord even for the timing and opportunities of proclaiming His gospel to a dying world. We need to be prepared for these opportunities (2 Timothy 2:15-26), but He is doing it all through us. Our roles may not be the same when it comes to being used by the Lord (some plant, some water, some harvest), but notice who it is that brings about increase in the life of a person (3:6-7).
Listen, whenever salvation takes place in a person, be sure that it is only because the Lord has given increase into their life, that He caused the word of God to grow in him/her. We as Christian’s may have different jobs, used by God in different ways in bringing the gospel, but God is the one who gets the work done, God gives the increase. It is the Lord alone that can give faith to the faithless, breath life into the dead, salvation is God’s work of mercy, grace and faith, and He gives to those He chooses to give it to (Romans 9:14-18) (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Frustration happens when we want to water when God has called us to plant, when we want to plant when God has called us to water, or when we want to make the increase happen. In whatever way God is using you in the salvation of others be content with what God has called you to do, remember He will accomplish the work He wants done in people according to His will. His Word is powerful, it will accomplish its intended purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11) (Romans 1:16-17) (Hebrews 4:12).