Major Contributors
By Roger Lipe
I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.–1 Corinthians 3:6
Let’s consider who has had the biggest influence on our athletic careers. Has there been more than one person who has made a significant impact on our abilities as athletes? First Corinthians 3:6 speaks about compounded influence.
In Paul’s first letter to his friends in Corinth, he used a familiar farming illustration. Let’s turn Paul’s farming comparison into a sports analogy.
Growing an athlete is like growing crops. There’s obvious collaboration among those who plant, cultivate, irrigate, and harvest. In the same way, growing a champion involves the compounding influences of parents, coaches, teammates, opponents, and so on.
The same pattern can be found in the building of one’s spiritual character. Parents, teachers, pastors, priests, and friends all walk beside us on the way to a rich life in Christ.
Today, let’s honor our eternal Architect and our mentors through a great performance and outstanding character.
1. Who are the major contributors to your development as an athlete?
2. Who contributes to your spiritual maturity?
3. How can you contribute to the spiritual maturity of someone you know?
Ephesians 6:1-4; Titus 2
Lord, thank You for blessing me with role models. Help me to learn from them and bring honor to them and to You in all I do. Amen.