1 Corinthians 3:10-15
Do you know God has a plan for you? Because He does! Beyond just wanting our love and devotion, God has a specific plan for each and every one of us, a ministry for us to step into. Whether it be handing out tracts, preaching at huge evangelistic conventions, or praying for your neighbour, God has things He wants you to fulfil. Opportunities for you to forward His kingdom.
In chapter 3 of the first book of Corinthians, verses 10 to 15 Paul outlines some really important principles for us as Believers. These are;
– That God has given us grace and this amount of grace differs from person to person, and that this grace is what gives us the ability to carry out God’s work (verse 10)
– That it is only possible to build on one foundation, Jesus Christ and His sacrifice (verse 11)
– That you can build different things on that sacrifice – good things, symbolised by gold, silver, and precious stones, or bad/weak things, symbolised by wood, hay, and straw, which will all be tested on “the Day” (verses 12 and 13)
– That the quality of workmanship will affect it’s passing the test. So those that don’t last in the fire will “suffer loss” (although they will still be saved by the foundation they were building on – Jesus Christ), but anyone whose work lasts will earn them a reward. (Verses 14 and 15)
So what does this mean for us?
Well…it’s good news! See, not all of us can aspire to being pastors, evangelists, or worship leaders. For a lot of us, we either relegate ourselves to positions we believe are all we are “worthy” of, or even worse, fall into the trap of believing that the pastor and his job is somehow more important than the old lady upholding him in prayer.
But this passage clearly shows us otherwise! See, God has given us all a capacity to serve Him – this is the grace Paul speaks of. Think of it as your potential, and your gifts. To some, He has given the grace to speak in front of nations. In others, nothing but the ability to pray for others. In others still, He has given them the ability to lead His people in worship.
But when the Day comes (verse 13), and we as His people stand before Him, and He judges our actions on earth, God will judge according to that grace…as the Bible says in Deuteronomy 32:4, our God is a just God! See, He is more interested in us fulfilling our potential, doing the work that He has called us to do on earth, than trying to attain unrealistically.
If you’re someone who only has the grace to lead one person to the Lord, and you do that, you will receive a ‘100%’ reward! However, if you were given the grace to lead 10’000 to the Lord and only lead 5’000…you’ll receive a 50% reward! So again, and let this encourage you; God isn’t interested in numbers. He’s interested in you trying your best to fulfil your potential within His kingdom.
So stop trying to reach numbers, and stop judging yourself against others – God made us all unique, with gifts that differ wildly from person to person. Instead, concentrate on your walk with God, asking Him to show you the good works He laid out for you before you were even born, and when He does, walk into them prayerfully and faithfully and see what amazing things God does for you!
