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| Melinda Viergever Inman |
The Corinthians had many problems in their churches:
drunkenness during communion, disorder in their worship services, and open
immorality, to name a few. They also had the divisive issue of favoritism
toward their leaders. Some preferred Paul; some preferred Apollos; some grasped
tightly to Peter (Cephas).
They didn’t seem to understand the need for both planting
and watering. Paul was there first. He had planted; Apollos watered, and Peter
also.
Unfortunately, we have this same problem in the writing world
today. The harvest is plentiful, and the writers are many. It sometimes feels
like a competition, but we all have our own positions assigned by God.
Some will plant. Some will water. Some will reap. Since only
God knows our assignments, we press on, writing our stories that proclaim truth
about our faith and our God through the subtle means of showing, not telling.
We also encourage one another. We all have a vital part to play, and we play
for the same team.
The infighting in Corinth became so divisive that Apollos
left the city and returned to Ephesus. As Paul then crafted the letter we call 1 Corinthians, he closed by writing that
he had urged Apollos to return to them, but that his gifted coworker had no
desire or will to return to Corinth yet (16:12). For Paul and Apollos, unity in
the church was more important than fame and fortune on the Christian speaking
circuit.
We don’t know if Apollos ever did return to Corinth, but we
have his example of humility. He could have seized the platform given him by
the admiring church members, vaunted his fine oratory skills, gathered a tribe,
and written to tell others how to do the same. Apparently, he was a better
speaker than Paul, and he could have made certain that everyone knew it.
Rather, for the sake of the fledgling church, he stepped
back, rather than into the limelight. Paul did the same. All the apostles did.
Humility was a mark of servant leadership in the first-century church. It still
is.
Do we practice this type of humility as Christian writers,
promoting another, praising her efforts, stepping back when the competitive
drive or the green-eyed monster within wants to propel us forward? Do we listen
to the Spirit, rather than to the flesh?
Paul wrote: “We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are
wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we
in disrepute. To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed
and buffeted and homeless [we are
‘starving artists’], and we labor, working with our own hands [we have laptops]. When reviled, we
bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we entreat. We have become,
and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things” (1
Corinthians 4:10-13 ESV).
For the sake of the Gospel do we have this attitude, the
willingness to become less when the advancement of the Good News requires it?
To the world this looks foolish, weak, definitely not trending. But, when the
Spirit urges, do we step back, rather than forward? What is our heart attitude?
Listening to the Spirit and avoiding being puffed up with
our own importance is essential as we walk this tightrope that requires
websites, social media, and author-promotion of our own work. We must listen
when He says step up and when He says
step back. When He asks us to be a fool in the world’s eyes, we must joyfully
oblige. We work for Him.
“This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and
stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that
they be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). Faithful, not necessarily
famous.
Love
takes action: The Creator God establishes the cosmos and shapes a man. Adam
rises from the dust. Envious, the powerful angel Lucifer despises him.
Oblivious to the threat, Adam is captivated by his strong, intuitive wife Eve.
In the Garden of Eden, they enjoy abundant food, gorgeous vistas, and
intriguing challenges, including their budding love and passion. They have it
all!
But
Lucifer’s deceptive brilliance tricks them into disobeying God. They eat the
one forbidden fruit. Their innocence is shattered. Their unity with one another
and with God is destroyed. Death will follow. Lucifer’s jealousy threatens
mankind’s tenuous beginning. But God is merciful. What astonishing promise does
He make? How will Adam and Eve survive—broken, shattered, and separated from God?
Melinda Viergever Inman was
raised in the tornado capital of the U.S. - Wakita, Oklahoma, of “Twister”
fame. There her parents met. There her roots were sunk in a
storytelling family. During years of relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and
heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots and ran from herself and from God. A
journey of trial and heartache brought her home again. A prodigal now returned
to her secure foundation, she writes with passion, illustrating God's love for
wounded people as he makes beauty from ashes. Fallen is her second novel, Refuge
her first. Melinda shepherds women in church and prison ministry and writes
inspirational material on her biweekly blog at http://melindainman.com/blog/ . With
her family she is involved with Mission India, rescuing orphans and providing
theological and job training for impoverished students— http://rimi.org/.
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