The part we play

As you can see by the pictures, the tulips are in full bloom at our state botanical gardens. This time of year, we’re making several trips so as not to miss anything. As we walked the garden paths recently, Jerry and I observed again how God’s glory is so evident in his creation. Then we met a woman who also seemed amazed at the bursts of color. She stopped in the path, extended her hands to each side and said, “God’s artwork.”

“We were just commenting on that,” I responded.

But then I thought, God’s artwork with a little help from a few dozen of His friends. Because all those bulbs we were seeing had to be planted and then at the end of the season, I’m sure that at least some of them are removed.

Of course, the workers didn’t create the bulbs or cause them to grow, so all the glory goes to God. But those tillers and planters had to participate in the process.

And so it is with us in the spiritual realm. All the glory goes to God, but He is counting on us to sow and plant in his kingdom. We have a part to play in the glorious plan.

The apostle Paul wrote about this, “It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow.” And all that hard work of planting and watering, Paul says, “What makes them worth doing is the God we are serving” (I Corinthians 3:7-9).

So as we enjoy the beauty this spring, let’s be reminded of the part we play in God’s desire to win the world to himself. The God we serve is worthy of all our labors.