We all know about magic shows where the magician would call upon someone in the audience to take part in his show. He could have easily done it himself, or with his stage assistant, but yet, the magician knows that the ‘magic’ is magnified exponentially when the audience get to experience it for themselves.
The Corinthian Christians were arguing in the Church to claim their allegiance to various apostles, thinking that their spiritual maturity depended on whom they follow. They have mistakenly put some apostles on a higher pedestal than they should be on. Paul was not hesitant to claim his real position as merely a servant, whom “the Lord has assigned to each his task”. Just like the audience participation in the Magic Act, our participation only facilitates the experience; the magician can still do his magic without us. Similarly, the Lord is the one transforming hearts (Jer 24:7) and “making it grow”. We may be involved in different parts of the process, some seemingly more important than others, some seemingly more ‘productive’ than others, but ultimately, “only God makes things grow”.
This position of a co-labourer is one of privilege and humility. Just like if we were selected by our President to be part of the work of his office, we were selected by the Most High God to be part of His eternal work, the most important work one can do on this earth. We are privileged to be working WITH, and not UNDER God, as we get to share and enjoy in His fruits of the labour. It involves humility as it requires one to surrender the failures and successes of each “harvest” to God. Lastly, it also presents as an encouragement to us all, that we are not responsible for the harvest – we only serve and work hard as co-labourers. God called us to co-work with Him, not only co-harvest, as only the Lord is powerful to give us a new heart and new spirit, to remove the heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh. (Eze 36:26)
Do we see this privilege of being CHOSEN by God, to CO-LABOUR with Him, to witness His GLORY and MAJESTY when the harvest is reaped? I urge you to go forth and plant, sow and reap faithfully, that you may “be overjoyed when His glory is revealed” (1 Pet 4:13)
