By John Ogden Sr

“For when one says, ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase” (I Corinthians 3:4-7, NKJV).

In this scripture setting, Paul sets the importance of the one who plants and the one who waters versus the One who gives the increase. He makes it very clear that the importance lies in God’s hands to bring the increase. In verse 4, Paul deals with a carnal mentality that says that I am part of one group or another. Neither the man, nor the group, is important in comparison to what God, through His Spirit, is doing.

We are led astray when we begin to focus our eyes and attention upon man. While it is true that God gives His anointing and grace to leaders to take a ministry forward, our eyes must never be on the organization – they must always be on God. We have a calling and a responsibility to go, plant, water, and reach out, but the harvest is God’s. Our responsibility is to take the message of Christ to the lost; it is God’s responsibility to bring the increase.

As we share the life-changing power of Jesus Christ and pray for the hurting, it is only when the Spirit of God moves that people’s lives are changed. There is no place for pride or spiritual self-righteousness when we understand who we are and our relationship with God. What a refreshing thought to know that as we go, God will bring the increase. Always be willing to go, but remember it is God’s responsibility to bring the increase.