We’re On the Same Team
1 Corinthians 3:8 “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.”
A few years ago, I came face to face with my very own critic. It seemed as though every time I turned around, this person had something negative or discouraging to say about the messages I was sharing with the Body of Christ. Of course, I tried not to get upset, but I couldn’t help it, especially when it seemed to me that he/she wasn’t doing very much for the Kingdom. However, shortly after my experience, a turn of events soon followed.
One day, my critic began sending inspiration to the Body of Christ as well. Now was my opportunity to take a little “time out in the flesh.” So I read what this person sent and was surprised to say the least. As much as I had heard from this person and because he/she had proclaimed to know sooooooo much, I expected more than what I got. I thought for sure that heaven was going to open up and all of God’s children were going to receive manna straight from the throne of Grace. (Can you feel the brother getting “fleshy” right now?)
Well, what I received was actually and truly a word from heaven. It was God’s word, His scripture and nothing else—-no expounding upon it, no studying or referencing the Greek nor the Hebrew—-no mention of commentaries, word searches, or word origins. It was God’s word and His word alone.
After reading the message, my first response was “Aaaaahhh yes, let me sit down and write a “nice” little reply, asking what led him/her to send this scripture.” And at that moment, God said to me, “You will not!” Now, can I just be real with you for a moment? Have you ever really wanted to get “fleshy” and God got in the way? Now, don’t play, “saved from the womb” with me. You know exactly what I’m talking about. When you wanted to tear someone up from their adam’s apple to their appetite but God intervened and said, “No.” Well brothers and sisters, this was where I was. And surprisingly, it was a good place because God taught me an important lesson that I need to share with you.
He went on to say this: “What I want you to understand is that this ministry matters. What they are doing is important and what they are doing does matter. When I give them one word to send out and it reaches the person whom it needs to reach, then my word has done its job.” And just then, I saw in a vision a person sitting at a computer getting that one scripture, that one word that confirms God’s promises, consoles the one who needs comforts, cancels demonic plans, and catapults satan back to the pit hell. I realized then that what my critic was doing does matter. Even if it was sending one scripture – – – it matters. But that was only half of the lesson. Here is the other half.
Our scripture tells us this: “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one.” In other words, my critic and I are one, and because we are both a part of the body of Christ, our strength is unity, not divisiveness. If I chose to operate in revenge, actually, I would be fighting myself and not the one I should have been defeating: satan. Instead of wanting “pay back,” I should have been trying to understand the significance of each person’s role in ministry.
And what are our roles? Overall, we as the servants of the Lord are to do three things: (1) Plant, (2) Water, and (3) Harvest. As we minister the way God needs us to, we sometimes plant, sometimes water, and sometimes harvest, depending on when we get there. If we meet a person who needs seeds sown in his/her life and we give the word, then we are planting that word within him/her. If we meet someone who has had seeds deposited but needs affirmation and confirmation of that word, then we water those seeds. If we meet someone whose seeds have taken root and have been watered to the point that they are blooming, then we harvest. Again, it’s all about timing.
So when we share salvation with the unsaved, we should not be discouraged when we do not get the response we desired or anticipated. The most important thing we can do is share what God has given us to share. It’s okay if someone else comes along and leads that person to Christ because in actuality it’s the same as you leading him/her to Christ. Why? Because we are all on the same team. We all get credit for “closing the deal.” Our text states it this way: “and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” If you don’t plant, I can’t water, and if I can’t water, then no one will ever harvest! So whether it’s a kind word or a King James proverb, God says, “Your Ministry Matters!” Remember, we’re on the same team and you are a vital part of God’s plan.