Growing Up In Christ
Have you ever been told to “grow up”? This is what Paul says to us when we agree about trivial things that don’t matter. Truly grown-up Christians have learned to be at peace with God and with those around them. Otherwise they’re still babies.
To grow, we need the input of more than one more nature Christian. Sometimes one Christian will “plant the seed” of the good news, but another will “water it.” Then it is God who makes our faith grow. When we share the message about Jesus, we should not always expect to see results right away. There is sometimes a lot more watering and growing that still has to happen. It might look like somebody is rejecting the message, but God and other Christians can help your seed grow.
God’s garden and God’s building...
My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That’s why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, because you are not yet spiritual. You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the people of this world.
Some of you say that you follow me, and others claim to follow Apollos. Isn’t that how ordinary people behave? Apollos and I are merely servants who helped you to have faith. It was the Lord who made it all happen. I planted the seeds, Apollos watered them, but God made them sprout and grow.
What matters isn’t those who planted or watered, but God who made the plants grow. The one who plants is just as important as the one who waters. And each one will be paid for what they do. Apollos and I work together for God, and you are God’s garden and God’s building.
