On God's Project

Originally published in The Global Voice, Volume 15: Issue 4, Fall 2017. You can read the whole edition here.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 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 3:7

Verse 7 sobers any laborer in Christ to the reality that our efforts in advancing the Kingdom of God are subject to the work of God himself. In other words, what we do would not be of any significance if it weren’t for God’s cooperation, including his direction/instruction as to how it should be done. The verse is not to abase the laborers and merely promote God as superior; the communication is intended to ensure the laborers understand that keeping God involved in our service is essential for righteous results.

When Rylan Aaseby first came to G.O.D., he was a self-admitted “punk kid” who had just returned from addiction counseling. Beginning in 2004, Rylan committed himself to studying God’s Word. That work paid off. Today he is a father of five, works as a contractor and organizes the biblical education happening at our Institute for G.O.D. East Africa, ensuring that our teachers are effective and accountable. In September, he was part of a delegation mission to facilitate our 2017 East Africa Summit for youth in Uganda. He is not only a co-laborer, his life testifies that he himself is also God’s project.

Verse 8 separates laborers into two parties — those who plant and those who water. Those who plant represent those who pioneer an effort, and those who water are the ones who maintain the process. However, the unity between these two groups is found in their relationship to God. Since it is God who gives the growth, he is both the source and the significance of their effort.

Although both laborers are noted as just a part of the unified effort, they are understood as individuals within the context of the wages related to their respective labor. This is interesting to highlights, as the text does not specify the criteria to determine the proportionate value of wage to labor. However, it may be enough to note that the value of labor is diversified based upon the individual’s contribution, but within the context of the whole. The unified effort between the individuals is key to this consideration.

Verse 9 reveals that not only are we God’s co-laborers, but that we are also the project itself. This revelation is often overlooked as we can get so caught up on doing things for God, not recognizing the project that demonstrates God’s workmanship is discovered in our own lives. It’s also good to note that this is not only in our lives as individuals, but also in our lives corporately, displaying the unity of the effort subject to God’s initiative.

In this Global Voice, you’ll be reading updates from the field in our various regions. While you’ll be reading about things that have been done, I must remark that the people who are effectuating this service are the project that I want you to take notice of with great love. All of the wonderful people who make these things possible, through their love of God and their love of neighbor, are ensuring so many other beautiful people are having their needs met so that they can experience the gift of life the Lord has so graciously given to everyone who takes a breath. I also want to thank you for supporting our efforts as you are an invaluable part of this team. Enjoy reading and be blessed!