God’s Fellow Workers

“For we are God’s fellow workers.” (1 Corinthians 3:9)

It is a wonderful calling to be God’s fellow worker. The thought of being able to serve the almighty, holy God in His magnificent work of love by being His fellow worker should fill us with deep reverence.

God’s vineyard is vast. Jesus commanded His disciples: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). And in John 4:35, the Lord says: “Lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest.”

The entire world is the mission field for God’s children. The Savior once compared this field to a vineyard. He said: A certain landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. And those he found, he hired for a denarius and sent them to work for him. He did the same at the third, sixth, ninth, and eleventh hours (see Matthew 20:1–16).

Without a doubt, the Lord of the spiritual vineyard has already been by your side and has invited you to work for Him. Have you ever looked around in God’s vineyard to see what there is for you to do there? The work is varied, and everyone is needed. There is much to do for every child of God. The Savior has the greatest interest in keeping you busy. However, you must not simply set to work as you please. You must work in accordance with the mind of the Word and the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit will bless only the work that is done through Him.

Perhaps you have your own ideas about what it means to work for God and prefer to do only certain things that, for whatever reason, are pleasant or appealing to you. However, such an attitude is not pleasing to God. Surely there have been times when you have felt the Spirit of God prompting you to do some work for Him. We must not resist His voice. Complete submission to the guidance of the Holy Spirit will protect us and help us remain devoted to God.

It is a wonderful thing in the kingdom of God that the Holy Spirit Himself distributes the gifts among the children of God. Yes, “one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills” (1 Corinthians 12:11). This is not according to anyone’s own initiative or will, but according to the wise providence of a great God who sees farther than we do and places His workers where He wants them to be, equipping them accordingly with His gifts.

Are we willing to submit ourselves as His fellow workers to His discipline and order, or do we want to work on our own? If we choose to work on our own, God’s blessing cannot be with us. Oh, may we learn to unite with God as He desires, and not hide our light under a bushel! Remember that we are responsible for the talent that God, in His love and wisdom, has entrusted to us.

As children of God, we should all work for our Savior as long as it is day, as long as God grants us life and health. When time on this earth is over, nothing more can be done. John 11:9 says, „Are there not twelve hours in a day?“ What hour is it for you at this very moment? Are you still in the morning of life, in the prime of your youth? Then you are truly blessed! You still have many opportunities to serve your Savior. He calls to you, “Go and work in My vineyard!” God willing, you still have a whole day ahead of you. Make the most of your time, for it passes so quickly! Allow yourself to be trained and equipped in the school of the Holy Spirit. Dear young Christians, the Holy Spirit is calling you in a special way to serve. One day, you will carry on the Lord’s work and tell others more about the love of God. Come, you have been given a wonderful privilege: the Lord is calling you in the first hour!

Those of you who were called at the third hour also have the blessed privilege of serving God. Listen to how the Master of the vineyard calls out to you: “You, also, go into the vineyard; and whatever is right, you will receive.”

At the end of the day, at the eleventh hour, the Master of the vineyard comes to the market once more and sees some people still standing around idly. So, He says to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” Doesn’t this question from the Master of the vineyard already express His astonishment that these people have not found any work all day? Just how much work must this Master have that He is so eager to send everyone to the vineyard! They reply, “No one has hired us.” Yet behold, the Master does not leave them standing there—for the day is nearly over—but invites them as well:

“You, also, go into the vineyard; and whatever is right, you will receive.” Yes, dear friend, you who came at the eleventh hour—there is still work for you to do. Hurry, go quickly to work, for soon it will be too late for you! Oh, come, lest you stand before the Lord one day with empty hands. You, too, will receive your wages.

It goes on to say: “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’” (NIV)

This landowner seems to be using a rather unusual standard. However, if we examine His response carefully, we will realize that it is the only correct one: “Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius” Doesn’t His question—“Or are you envious because I am generous?”—also warn us of the danger of falling into the same temptation?

What, then, is the standard by which God rewards the work of His children? Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:14, “The love of Christ compels us.” This is the blessed secret of all those who faithfully fulfill their duty out of love for the Lord. This same love was the driving force in the apostle’s life through all his efforts, struggles, and sufferings. It made his work pleasing to God and a blessing to others.

“God’s fellow workers” — there is so much packed into these few words! They should prompt us to reflect deeply. May we prove ourselves worthy of this calling! “Those who sow with tears will reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5–6).