How to Be a Faithful Servant: Remember Your Work

In a fallen world we are prone to forget. Technology helps us fight back against our forgetfulness, but often we even forget to remind ourselves of what we need to remember! The danger in this, of course, is that some of the things we forget have a tremendous impact on us and those around us. If I forget to tie my shoes, no big deal. If I forget to pay my electric bill, that has broader repercussions. If I forget the gospel, I lose my joy and confidence in the Lord and quickly become a burden to everyone around me. Forgetfulness can have serious consequences.

The saints in Corinth were experiencing this same reality. These dear folks had forgotten much and the result of their forgetfulness was a church plagued with difficulties. They were hurting themselves and one another. And so the apostle Paul wrote to remind them of many things they already knew and to call them to repent and obey the Lord.

Among the list of forgotten items in the Corinthian church was what it meant to be a faithful servant. Apparently, the Corinthians had turned Christianity into a competitive sport and were viewing their leadership through the same competitive lens. They had forgotten what it meant to be servants of Christ. And so Paul lovingly reminded them of the key features of being a faithful servant in 1 Corinthians 3:5–15.    

In a prior blog, I wrote how Paul first reminded them of the servant’s role (vv. 5–7). In this post, I want to take up his second reminder and look at the servant’s work (vv. 8–10). There are five features of the servant’s work that each of us should keep in mind as we serve the Lord.

1. Remember, Servants Work Collectively

The work God has given His servants is a collective activity, which is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:8 that “he who plants and he who waters are one.” In what sense are they “one”? They are one in the sense that they are in the same class—they’re both servants of the same Master. One of them plants and another waters, but they are both working to accomplish the same goal. Neither of them is more important than the other. A seed planted without water will never grow. Soil watered with no seed will only produce mud. Both the planter and the waterer are necessary.

Those who serve the Lord would do well to remember this point. None of us are better than another. None of us are more necessary than another. In fact, it’s the least among us who will be counted “greatest” by our Lord (Mark 10:31). Each of us has a vital role to play. Some play more prominent roles than others, but we all work collectively for the same Master. And when we each carry out our respective assignments from the Lord, He pulls it all together and brings about a measure of growth we could have never achieved on our own.

2. Remember, Servants Are Rewarded Individually

Although the servant's work is a collective work, each servant is rewarded individually for his labor. In other words, serving the Lord is not like a group project where you can squeeze out an “A” for sitting back and doing nothing while the rest of your group does all the work. Serving the Lord does not work that way.

Paul says in verse 8b that “each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” Notice the underlined portion. Each servant will receive “his own reward” based upon “his own labor.” Do you see the emphasis here? While servants work collectively, their reward will be based upon their own individual faithfulness to their assignment.

The word for “reward” here refers to payment given for work done.¹ It’s the servant’s wage, and the payment comes from the God who writes checks with perfect justice and integrity. Servants, then, should remember that the all-seeing eye of God is on us at all times (Proverbs 15:3). Nothing escapes His notice. He is aware of our efforts and our labors and will reward accordingly (Matthew 6:4).

Notice one more thing. Paul doesn’t say the servant’s wage is based upon the outcomes of his labor. He says the servant will be rewarded “according to his own labor.” The servant’s reward has nothing to do with outcomes. He cannot control the outcomes—those belong to the Lord since it is “God who causes the growth” (3:7). The servant’s reward is based upon his own labor. His reward has to do with the sincerity, effort, and energy he expended in his service to the King. Did he lay his life down in service to the Master? Did he leave it all on the field each day? Did he do the best he could to serve within the confines of his own weaknesses and limitations? Those are the questions that concern the Master. He bids His servants to labor for Him and to trust Him for the outcomes and for the reward.

3. Remember, Servants Work for God

That the servant works for God is obvious in context, but Paul makes a point to emphasize it for our sake. In verse 9 he says, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

Notice the threefold refrain here. Paul and his ministry partners are “God’s fellow workers.” The church is “God’s field” and “God’s building.” The workers, the field, and the building all belong to God. They each exist for him. And the workers are those who have been especially set aside to take care of God’s possessions. They are “God’s fellow workers” in the sense that they work together for God. All that they do—every element of their work—is designed to cultivate the Lord’s field so that it flourishes and bears fruit and to see that the Lord’s building is edified and built up according to God’s blueprint.

To put that another way, the servant must always remember that his work is not about him. His preferences, his desires, and his ambitions are all to be laid aside as he employs his gifts, talents, and time for the improvement of the Lord’s possession. That is to say, for the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11–12, 16).  

4. Remember, Servant’s Work According to God’s Assignment

Since the servant of God works for God, he receives his assignment from above. Paul had received his assignment to lay the foundation for the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 3:10a). Apollos, and others, had received assignments to build upon that foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10b). If you were to look at it all from 30,000 feet, each of them was doing the same thing—working to build up the body of Christ. But on the ground level, they had different assignments. And these assignments were issued according to the grace that had been given to them (1 Corinthians 3:10a; Ephesians 3:7–8). All of it was orchestrated by God in such a way that He alone would get the glory for the work (1 Corinthians 15:10)!

5. Remember, Servant’s Must Work Carefully

Finally, Paul concludes this reminder on the servant’s work with a warning that every servant is to be careful how he builds on the foundation of Christ: “But each man must be careful how he builds on it” (1 Corinthians 3:10c). The work of the servant must not be done carelessly. He must remember that he is not throwing together a shack but is building up the temple of God (1 Peter 2:5). He is to carry out his work with the care, diligence, and humility that the assignment requires.

Every time we counsel, teach, or disciple, we must remember that we are building on the precious foundation of Christ that has already been laid in the individual’s heart. Our labors are to build up this individual, and we should do so knowing that the structure being erected is for the Lord, and He deserves our best effort. Sloppy, careless work will never do for the true servant of God. We must labor with care, because the Master is worth it. And He promises to give us all we need to work in such a way that pleases Him (Colossians 1:29; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Timothy 2:1).

¹ “μισθός,” Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, ed. F.W. Danker, W.F. Arndt, and F.W. Gingrich, 3rd ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 653.