Responsibility

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." --1 Corinthians 3:5-7

I formed a very close friendship with an unsaved girl not to long ago. She shared alot of her life with me, and I with her. She told me she didn't choose to share these things with anyone else - I'd been singled out. I began to feel pressure. I began to feel responsible for her putting her faith in Christ for her salvation.

I emailed a wise friend and asked him for council. "Why me?" I wrote. "Why did God choose me as the person she'd open her life up to? I'm not wise enough to answer her questions! I'm going to mess up and she'll never come to the Lord because of my failure."

He answered me in one very wise sentence that has stuck with me, and will forever: "Avoid feelings of responsibility, because functionally, you're saying with your actions that you save souls instead of God." This is exactly what Paul was telling the Corinthians in the passage above. God assigns people to share the gosple, but ultimately it isn't the person who does the saving work - it's God. Paul doesn't mince words about that. "So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."

Christian, is there someone in your life you've been praying for for years to come to know Jesus as their savior? Is there a life you've sown into that seems to be unresponsive, or even hostile? Is your heart breaking over a loved one who mocks the Gosple and how it informs your life? Cling to this passage - remember you are called to plant and water, but we humans can't force growth.

I planted an herb garden last year. I stuck the seeds in the soil and I watered them, then I sat and hoped. The growth itself was beyond my power. I could only hope that by being faithful to plant and water, these little plants would grow.

It's the same with our unsaved friends and family. We have no control over growth - we can't reach into the soil and forcefully pull green stuff out. Nor can we just stare at the dirt and hope for trees. We have to be faithful to plant and water - and leave the miracle of growth up to God.