Growth

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. – 1 Cor 3:5-9

Anyone who knows me well will know that I am not much of a gardener.  However, the most oblivious of plant growers know there are three essential elements to help a plant to grow: sun, water, good soil.

After giving some reflection on the growth of plants and reading scripture, I thought about the growth of plants in connection to our own growth as humans. As the reading above states behind all growth is God. God is the one who ultimately gives life and is the continued sustainer of its growth. In a special way, God invites us to share in the process with one another. 

The first element is good soil. Parents of children have a special responsibility to bring forth new life into good soil. You notice I said, good soil, not perfect soil. We all struggle to grow into that perfect being God calls us to be, but at the same time, we can’t give up or settle. There is so much riding on our participation. A child deserves to be brought up in good soil. As nature demands a child needs a mother and a father. It is then the special responsibility of the parents to provide a healthy living situation for the child to thrive and ultimately grow. 

The second element is the sun. The sun will shine. It will do its part. More importantly God will shine His love and grace into our lives and be ever present and faithful. The light that is so desperately needed will shine whether the soil of our lives is as good as we deserve. We must make it our task as fellow human beings to add the nutrients needed to treat the soil and to enable it to be the best it can be to sustain our growth. Even the weakest of soil when treated and cared for can provide life.

The third element is water. It, too, is essential to continual growth. Rain is perhaps the easiest way the for the land to be watered. However, for rain to come and sustain the life, clouds must form. High above our heads the sun continues to be present, yet for a period of time the clouds will form and pour out rain to nourish the earth. At times the clouds can convince us that maybe the sun isn’t there. Think about it! For the rain to nourish the land the sun must for a moment “go away”. Yet even when the rain falls and darkness comes, one can look around and in the form a rainbow, see a promise that the sun will “come back” again.

In our lives the clouds will come. It will grow darker. And we too may be convinced by others that God isn't there. However, in all honestly we need the rain in our lives for growth to happen. I don’t particular care for rain or sustained periods of cloudy days, just as many of us don’t care for the dark days in our lives. Nevertheless, when the rainy days come and when the sun seems to be gone, we do grow! What can help us appreciate the rain and get us through the cloudy days are the rainbows all around us, for they are the promises that God is ever present!

It is a cycle of life we must all go through. There will be prolonged days of bright sun shining days when we feel on top of the world. When things are just going as planned and we feel very strong in our faith. Then in an instance the clouds form, the darkness comes and the rain falls. We may not want it or care for it, but we cannot deny the importance of rain for our growth. In fact the most noticeable growth that is measured in our lives is after the storm. 

In the end, just like any plant to grow, we need all three! We may not be able to do much about when the sunny days are present or when the rainy days will come, but what we can do and are invited to do is to cultivate the soil in our lives and the lives of others in such a way as to receive both the sun and the rain so as to grow into God's wonderful creation. Let us be God's fields and God's buildings in a world that so desperately needs!

What is Apollos, after all, and what is Paul? Ministers through whom you became believers, just as the Lord assigned each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth. Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters are equal, and each will receive wages in proportion to his labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. – 1 Cor 3:5-9