“He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” 1 Corinthians 3:8-9
Billy Graham, D. L. Moody, George Whitefield, C. H. Spurgeon, and John Wesley; these are just a handful of famous evangelists who clearly made a huge impact for the kingdom of God with their ministries. There are many, many more as well.
There are also many evangelists whose names we don’t know who have made a huge impact for the kingdom of God with their lesser-known ministries.
It is easy to pine after the big names of ministry, to wish that someday we might be as powerfully used by the Lord as they were. My husband and I sometimes joke about “not being Spurgeon,” but there is admittedly a bit of wistfulness in the joking. We know we aren’t – but man, it would be exciting to be “as good” as him!
It is tempting to be down on ourselves about our ministry and how effective we perceive it to be or not be – especially for a small country church like ours. The size and location of our community results in some rather natural limitations on things like numbers and program sizes.
Looking around, we can see other “more successful” churches and be discouraged that we aren’t “doing as well” as they are. And yet – God is doing work all around the world, in big churches and small churches, in big cities and in small towns! He is at work everywhere, and it is a privilege to be serving Him exactly where He has us.
My husband and I have been serving in our church for nearly 10 years now. We have seen many ups and downs, people leaving and coming, hard times and good times. Sometimes we look around us and wonder, “Are we being effective? Is God using us? Is He using us as much as He is using others?”
Recently, we have been seeing God moving in our community and in our church in some really amazing ways. He is doing something incredible! And frankly, at times it feels a bit like it is being done by everyone BUT us! There is a wonderful youth center in the town next door that is bringing the gospel to unchurched teens. There are teens coming to our church because teens from our church invited them. There have even been teachers coming because teens invited them! There is the beginning of a youth group that has risen from the ashes of our church’s old youth group that dried up. We have a thriving kids’ ministry. And not a single one of these ministries is being led by the pastor or his wife. We help where we can in some of them, not all, but these things are all happening through the work and ministry of other people in our church!
On the one hand, it is a bit humbling, and maybe even a bit discouraging, because we are not directly involved in many of these exciting things. Obviously, we can be excited about God’s work being done because it is His work being done, and that is exciting every single time! But what does all of this say about us as ministry leaders?
Paul has something to say about this in 1 Corinthians 3:8-9 when he says, ““He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.” Paul was addressing jealousy and competition in the church as people were arguing over ministry things such as who was converted by whom, Paul or Apollos. Paul points out to them that it doesn’t matter! What matters is that the ministry has happened! God’s work was accomplished!
Right now, for whatever reason, God has my husband and I in a season of being more on the sidelines. We are not out of the picture – my husband is preaching the Word clearly and faithfully week after week. We are both serving in different capacities within the church and investing in people in various ways. We are on the sidelines, cheering on those who are more in the spotlight. On the sidelines, we can refresh and pour into them, preparing them to go back out there.
I had been dealing with some discouragement about – what I perceived to be – our lack of involvement in the exciting things God is doing right now. Then I had a bit of an “aha” moment – God is doing exciting things through people in our church because our church family is healthy and growing in their faith. God is using us in a mighty way right here, right now, just by being faithful to keep feeding and building into our church family. How can they go out and minister to others, unless they are being fed and ministered to at home?
It doesn’t matter who plants the seed vs. who waters it. God can use us in big ways and in small ways – and very often, the big ways come after many small ways happen first.
We are all serving God together, whether we are the next Spurgeon or not.
Taking It Further:
How do you see God using you right now, even if in a “small” way?
