July 9, 2010, 1 Corithians 3

Key Verse:

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

(1 Corinthians 3:7)

Central Truth:

What does acting as mere men get you? Jealously, strife, quarreling . . . .

WHAT DO YOU ALLOW TO DIVIDE YOU AND CAUSE YOU TO ACT AS MERE MEN ?
I’m not sure why each time I read certain Bible verses I see examples within my home in how my children behave with each other. As I was reading this chapter, I could hear one child saying to the other, "Well, I made the bed so you have to hang up the clothes!" It’s like sometimes they just can’t work together, or when they do work together, each one tries to claim his chore was more important than the others. Where is the spirit of one for all and all for one?

I even see this in my work environment. One employee feels her tasks are more important or relevant to the functioning of the office. There are even times when one of the employees vies for supervisory attention and feels challenged and jealous when other employees truly need their supervisor’s input. Where is the spirit of all working toward the same goal of providing the best service for our students and faculty?

When I have the privilege to observe a class full of students, regardless of their ages, this dynamic is present there too. What is it that prohibits or interferes with us all working together for the one goal ?

After reading just this chapter in 1 Corinthians, I see the answer much more clearly and even understand the concept mentioned in this chapter of the fleshly ways and being spiritually immature. We all are infants in Christ. We all have strife and jealously among ourselves, whether it is your family, your co-workers, or students in a classroom. How will you strive to be more than mere men today?