Build With Care
Blog / Produced by The High Calling
Sometimes our work is threatened by external conditions. But often the dangers come from within; we can become our own worst enemies and unintentionally sabotage our own efforts with slipshod construction or internal team dissension. How do we build work that lasts? How do we guard our work from self-destruction?
Let’s look at a case study from the New Testament. The apostle Paul was a visionary start-up entrepreneur. He planted dozens of churches, including the church in Corinth. After he moved on to work in other locations, Apollos continued the work in Corinth. Some in Corinth allied themselves as loyalists of Paul’s original start-up work, saying, “I follow Paul.” Others had more loyalty to Apollos, saying, “I follow Apollos” (1 Cor. 3:4).
This dynamic occurs in many situations where a successor replaces an original leader, whether a department head or a chief executive. Some team members will see themselves as keepers of the original vision and will resist the innovations of the new leader. Others come on board with the new leader and champion his or her efforts. In a church setting, this can lead to a church split. In a workplace environment, it might lead to factionalism, inefficiency and team division, if not outright mutiny or defection.
Paul is aware of this temptation and has heard about division amongst the Corinthians. So he writes them to put things back in perspective:
“The Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:5-9).
Paul is pointing out here that different workers have different gifts and callings. Paul had a particular work of “planting.” The visionary entrepreneur is gifted and called to start things up and set plans in motion. Apollos built on that foundation and came in “watering”—think of operations people who implement the founder’s vision and build upon it, sometimes taking things in different directions than originally imagined. But Paul and Apollos are working together—they are co-workers joined by a common vision and working for a higher purpose. There should be no factionalism in Corinth, Paul is saying; we’re all on the same team, and we’re all pursuing the same goals, the same one purpose.
Along with this comes a warning. Shifting the metaphor from planting to building, Paul then writes:
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
All of us have gifts and opportunities that can be used wisely or poorly. Some of us invest our work with the fullness of all our giftedness and energy, with value akin to gold, silver or costly stones. Others of us might squander our gifts, or do just enough to slide by. Wood, hay or straw might build a temporary structure, but the work is more vulnerable to fire or other calamity.
Whether in the short-term or the long-term, the quality of our work will be tested. Any number of things may cause our work to go down in flames. Poor work will inevitably come to light, no matter how much we may try to cover it up. So what should we do? Build wisely, in collaboration with others. Whether we plant or water, whatever role we might play organizationally, we should each use our gifts appropriately and invest our work with as much value as possible.
Do you want your work to survive? Then build with care.
Let’s look at a case study from the New Testament. The apostle Paul was a visionary start-up entrepreneur. He planted dozens of churches, including the church in Corinth. After he moved on to work in other locations, Apollos continued the work in Corinth. Some in Corinth allied themselves as loyalists of Paul’s original start-up work, saying, “I follow Paul.” Others had more loyalty to Apollos, saying, “I follow Apollos” (1 Cor. 3:4).
This dynamic occurs in many situations where a successor replaces an original leader, whether a department head or a chief executive. Some team members will see themselves as keepers of the original vision and will resist the innovations of the new leader. Others come on board with the new leader and champion his or her efforts. In a church setting, this can lead to a church split. In a workplace environment, it might lead to factionalism, inefficiency and team division, if not outright mutiny or defection.
Paul is aware of this temptation and has heard about division amongst the Corinthians. So he writes them to put things back in perspective:
“The Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Cor. 3:5-9).
Paul is pointing out here that different workers have different gifts and callings. Paul had a particular work of “planting.” The visionary entrepreneur is gifted and called to start things up and set plans in motion. Apollos built on that foundation and came in “watering”—think of operations people who implement the founder’s vision and build upon it, sometimes taking things in different directions than originally imagined. But Paul and Apollos are working together—they are co-workers joined by a common vision and working for a higher purpose. There should be no factionalism in Corinth, Paul is saying; we’re all on the same team, and we’re all pursuing the same goals, the same one purpose.
Along with this comes a warning. Shifting the metaphor from planting to building, Paul then writes:
“By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Cor. 3:10-15).
All of us have gifts and opportunities that can be used wisely or poorly. Some of us invest our work with the fullness of all our giftedness and energy, with value akin to gold, silver or costly stones. Others of us might squander our gifts, or do just enough to slide by. Wood, hay or straw might build a temporary structure, but the work is more vulnerable to fire or other calamity.
Whether in the short-term or the long-term, the quality of our work will be tested. Any number of things may cause our work to go down in flames. Poor work will inevitably come to light, no matter how much we may try to cover it up. So what should we do? Build wisely, in collaboration with others. Whether we plant or water, whatever role we might play organizationally, we should each use our gifts appropriately and invest our work with as much value as possible.
Do you want your work to survive? Then build with care.
The demands, pressures and stress of work can put a huge strain on relationships with our coworkers. This 4-day plan from Theology of Work Project and Workmatters provides simple steps you can take to be more loving to your coworkers that will transform those relationships and increase both joy and productivity at work.