Passage of the Day:
Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4 For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings? 5 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. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7 So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8 The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9 For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:1-11.
Reflection:
The city of Corinth was a wealthy port city in Greece at the time the apostle Paul wrote this letter. As this church in Corinth grew, believers began to have favorite leaders and preachers. Rather than get drawn into a debate on the G.O.A.T. of Christians in the first century, Paul points out that everyone has a part to play. Some Christians may sow spiritual seeds, others may water by nourishing those seeking a newfound faith, but God ultimately makes people and things grow.
Prayerful Action:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock,” Matthew 7:24-25.
Preparing Your Fields to Beat Spiritual Fruit:
One common theme echoed by multiple New Testament authors is that storms, trials and rough stretches in life will come upon you, James 1:2-4 and 1 Peter 1:6-7. If you’re not ready, your foundation will be rocked and washed away by waves and wind. Only those who develop a will to endure like the image in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 can continue to produce spiritual fruit. In your own weakness, lean on Jesus to be strong, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10.
Song of the Day:
When I feel, my faith is starting to crumble, I turn to songs like My Anchor. Over the years, songs like the Anchor Holds and When God Ran have helped remind me to build my spiritual foundation on the Rock of Christ.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 