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Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthian church to correct several problems. The Corinthians needed instruction in marriage, Christian freedom, worship, and various issues which tended to cause division.

Paul rebuked the church for quarreling about being a follower of Paul or a follower of Apollos. Apollos was a good teacher, but Paul reminded the Corinthians (and us) that all ministers of the Gospel are simply servants through whom God accomplishes His work. In the end, the only one worth "following" is Jesus.

1 Corinthians 3:5-6
"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow."

We are all given tasks to carry out in the lives of those around us. God desires us to plant the seed of His Word and water with discipleship, prayer, and encouragement. He will then use us to draw others into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and grow His children into the likeness of His Son.

As we plant and water into the lives of others, it's normal to want (and even expect) to see growth. We may desire to see blossoms overnight, but God is in charge of the growth rate. He is not growing a flower that looks good today but quickly withers away, He is growing a mighty shade tree with deep roots and wide branches that will not break in the wind. And this kind of growth takes time.

No one plants an acorn thinking they will sit under the shade of a mighty oak next month or even next year. Acorns are planted so our children, grandchildren, and even great grandchildren will have shade. What we plant and water today in God's Kingdom may grow slowly, but it may also provide much needed shade for many generations.

We may never see the results of our effort, but we must patiently continue to plant and water. We must learn to recognize the needs of those God places in our path and effectively minister at every opportunity. We must not become discouraged. God has called us to this task and we must obediently follow. We are to plant and water - but always remember, God makes it grow.

Copyright 2001, Steve Troxel. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

About Steve Troxel: Steve Troxel is the President of God's Daily Word Ministries. Steve was trained as an Electrical Engineer and received his PhD in 1994. After working as a researcher in a laser laboratory for several years, Steve felt the call from God to leave his trained profession and enter into full-time ministry. His devotionals are now sent around the world via email as well as distributed in book format. More information about this ministry as will as a "sign-up" page can be found at: http://www.godsdailyword.org