We CAN Enjoy The Fruits of Our Labors

1 Corinthians 9:3-5 “³ When people criticize me, this is how I defend myself: ⁴ Don't I have the right to be given food and drink for my work? ⁵ Don't I have the right to follow the example of the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter, by taking a Christian wife with me on my trips?”

Well now, how many times have I read these verses, and have not seen the part about wives?!?! I totally have seen and reasoned why we pay those who do services for us, in so many ways – but to have someone go/be with them/us on the way… well, this just hit me differently today I guess.

Then verse 7 got me thinking as well, really – when someone is a soldier, do they sign up or are they drafted into service and have to pay their own way for everything? NO! I see God’s plan is for man to not be alone, nor to do “it/life” alone. Then why on earth would we expect anyone that is serving the Lord to go it alone?!?!

Two are better than one… iron sharpens iron… be fruitful and multiply… lay down a life for a friend… leave father and mother and cleave unto… these are just a few verses that bounced in my head when reading these verses above. That we are to enjoy the fruits of our labor, in any field that the Lord has us working. I totally understand that one! When I have had a job, where I’m serving others – we have always been able to ‘reap what we have harvested and worked hard on’ – just like in these verses about the person doing the harvest on their field, or the milk in their flock.

The part about the apostles taking wives with them – gosh, that is just bouncing all over in my head! I am going to have to do some researching on this one! I guess, I just never really thought about it. I think I assumed, the ones that were married, their wives stayed at the home, and when they could break from their work, they would come back home to them and their family. However, we don’t ask our current day pastors to do that, why would God have had them do that back then??? I don’t think He did. Yes, I think He called them and separated them for a “training” of sorts, but not for a permanent thing. I mean, God uses “family” in SO many verses – because a ‘family’ is what we can see and understand as an example of our Heavenly Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit – and us being a part of the “family of God”.

Matthew 8:14 tells us that Peter had a mother-in-law, so he was married.

Then here in 1 Corinthians 9 – talks of the others being married.

1 Timothy 3:2-5 talks about the leaders of a church only having one wife. So it is ok to be married.

Hebrews 13:4 talks about marriage being honorable to all.

Acts 21:9 Phillip had 4 daughters, which means he was married.

1 Corinthians 7:8 talks about those that are widowed – like Paul – so, this could mean he WAS married. Which would also be why he has such experiences to draw from when he speaks of love, marriage, and devotion to both family and the Lord.

The thing that just jumped out in my thoughts, is that back then it was “normal” to have a family: wife and children. When Jesus was calling the disciples to follow Him, he met most of them at their work place. Men work to provide for their families. Or to provide for their future family. It is customary in the bible to not really “talk about’ the ‘norm’ of things, but when something should be done differently, outside of the norm. So, to me – yes, I would think that most of the apostles and disciples DID have families. I believe that even Paul had a wife at one time. Yes, he chose to follow God’s plan and remain unmarried after that – so that he could devote his time to God’s will and not his own fleshly desires.

So these verses above, had me on two paths of thoughts LOL The main one at first, was that we can work and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Most of the time now, in today’s world – it is a paycheck. However, some of us also do different kinds of work, that we can actually take/use part of our “harvest” for ourselves and our family. I am praying today, that if you have a job or position where you can bless others with the things you are able to do or make – then do it. The worst that can happen, is that you feel good about blessing someone else in their day! Our “job/work” can help others. Which then in turn blesses us. Have a GREAT day! I’m praying you are blessed while blessing others!