Got a Few Minutes?

Read: 1 Corinthians 3:5-12

I know. That title is all wrong grammatically, and my junior high English teacher would be appalled. Even so, the question stands because I was reminded this week that even a very short amount of time spent with a stranger can change the whole course of a person's life. The name of the lady whose life was altered? Abbie Rutledge, and this is her story. In 2022, Rutledge was pulled over by trooper J.T. Brown. There was no doubt. She was speeding. She told trooper Brown that she couldn't afford the ticket and that she was in a job that was going nowhere. He invited her to talk with him about her life.

During that 10- or 15-minute talk, the trooper and Abbie discussed the fact that she would make a good nurse, and he let her off with a warning. No ticket if she would go to school and slow down. At this point, trooper Brown didn't have a great deal of faith that Rutledge would keep her end of the bargain, but she did, and she graduated last month.

She now has completed the two-year program in surgical technology, and she works at the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital doing a job she loves.  He even attended her graduation. "I wanted him to see the impression he made on me," Rutledge said. "Five minutes talking to anybody, even if you don't know them, can make the largest impact of their life, ever…You never know when it could happen."

How true that is in general, and in an even greater way, it is true for each of us who belong to Jesus. Perhaps that statement sounds arrogant because we are making a statement that sets us apart from others. The only reason I would ever dare to make such a claim is because we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. As weak and fragile as we are, God actually displays His love through our words and actions, Galatians 2:20; therefore, when we interact with others, even for what seems like a short amount of time, we might be used by God to impact someone's life for eternity. I hasten to say that we don't often know when the Lord is working through our lives, and it is not our cleverness, or eloquence that changes anyone. It is God's power and His power alone that does the work. In 1 Corinthians 3:5-12, we read about this very thing. It is here that Paul helps us understand that God so wondrously does eternal work through us. He speaks of us as those who plant and water seeds, and he speaks of himself and Apollos as doing the same thing. Let's think of how intelligent Paul was. He was the human author of several New Testament books. Explaining precious truths. Apollos was an amazingly eloquent man, Acts 18:24-28. A gifted orator and teacher.

Even so, since like us, they were merely human beings, they were able only to plant and water seeds of truth. Paul spoke clearly. Reminding us that God was the One Who made the seeds grow and flourish. Paul and Apollos and each of us who has been born again, John 3:3 have the honor of serving God, but any fruit that comes through our lives is because of God's Who does the eternal work

When I was in college, I had a reader who loved Jesus. She was quiet and kind, and she wanted me to know how much the Savior Whom I didn't yet know loved me. Oh, I believed there was a God, but I didn't yet understand that He loved me enough to die for MY sins. She "planted seeds" in my life. She told me that God cared even about the bowling PE class that I took. I smiled, but I really couldn't believe that. Yet, she honored Jesus by telling me the truth about God, and God eventually made those seeds grow and opened my eyes to understand His truth. The honor goes to Him, but my reader actually was involved in changing my life in an eternal way. There's more according to our passage in 1 Corinthians 3. One day, God will reward His children for participating in His eternal work. Whatever we have done to honor Him will be lauded by God at that time. Amazing, isn't it!

Got a few minutes? Who knows what Almighty God will do!