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It Is “God Who Makes It Grow”!The Watchtower—2008 | July 15
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It Is “God Who Makes It Grow”!
“Neither is he that plants anything nor is he that waters, but God who makes it grow.”—1 COR. 3:7.
1. In what way are we “God’s fellow workers”?
“GOD’S fellow workers.” That is how the apostle Paul described the privilege all of us can enjoy. (Read 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.) The work to which Paul referred is the disciple-making work. He likened it to the sowing and watering of seed. If we are to be successful in that vital work, we need Jehovah’s help. Paul reminds us that it is “God who makes it grow.”
2. Why does the fact that ‘God makes it grow’ help us to have a proper view of our ministry?
2 That humbling fact helps us to have a proper view of our ministry. We may work diligently at preaching and teaching, but ultimately all praise goes to Jehovah for any growth that might result. Why? Because try as we may, none of us can fully understand the growth process, let alone control it. King Solomon expressed the situation correctly when he wrote: “You do not know the work of the true God, who does all things.”—Eccl. 11:5.
3. What similarity exists between the work of sowing literal seed and that of making disciples?
3 Does our inability to understand the growth process make our work frustrating? No. Rather, it makes it exciting, intriguing. King Solomon said: “In the morning sow your seed and until the evening do not let your hand rest; for you are not knowing where this will have success, either here or there, or whether both of them will alike be good.” (Eccl. 11:6) Truly, when it comes to planting literal seed, we do not know where or if it will sprout. Many factors are beyond our control. Something similar can be said of the disciple-making work.
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It Is “God Who Makes It Grow”!The Watchtower—2008 | July 15
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8. (a) Whom does the sower represent? (b) Why does the response to the Kingdom-preaching work differ?
8 Who is represented by the sower? He represents God’s fellow workers, those who proclaim the Kingdom good news. Like Paul and Apollos, they plant and water. But even though they work hard, the results differ. Why? Because of the different heart conditions of those who hear the message. In the illustration, the sower has no control over these results. How comforting this is, especially to those of our faithful brothers and sisters who have worked for many years, in some cases for decades, with seemingly few tangible results!a Why so?
9. What comforting truth did the apostle Paul and Jesus both emphasize?
9 Faithfulness on the part of the sower is not measured by the results of his work. Paul alluded to that when he said: “Each person will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Cor. 3:8) The reward is according to the labor, not according to the results of that labor. Jesus likewise emphasized this point when his disciples returned from a preaching tour. They were overjoyed because the demons were made subject to them by the use of Jesus’ name. As exciting as that may have been, Jesus said to them: “Do not rejoice over this, that the spirits are made subject to you, but rejoice because your names have been inscribed in the heavens.” (Luke 10:17-20) Even where a sower may not see a lot of increase as a result of his work, he has not necessarily been less diligent or faithful than others. To a large extent, results depend on the heart condition of the hearer. But ultimately, it is God who makes it grow!
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It Is “God Who Makes It Grow”!The Watchtower—2008 | July 15
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a Consider the example of Brother Georg Fjölnir Lindal’s ministry in Iceland, as reported in the 2005 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, pages 210-211, and the experiences of faithful servants who persevered in Ireland for many years without immediate results, as found in the 1988 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, pages 82-99.
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