在1955年7月29日，美國宣布計劃將衛星送上太空。不久之後，蘇聯宣布同樣的計劃，而太空競賽就此展開。蘇聯率先發射第一顆人造衛星，並首次將人類送上太空，當時尤里．加加林（Yuri Gagarin）繞行地球軌道一圈。這場太空競賽一直持續到1969年7月20日，尼爾．阿姆斯壯（Neil Armstrong）在月球表面邁出「人類的一大步」，就此非正式地結束了競賽。接著，兩國很快就進入合作的時期，最終促成國際太空站的建立。

有時，競爭會帶來益處，能促使我們實現原本不會嘗試的事情。但有時競爭也會帶來破壞，而這正是哥林多教會的問題，因為教會當中的不同群體各自擁護不同的領袖。保羅試圖解決這個問題，他在書信裡告訴他們：「栽種的和澆灌的都算不得什麼，一切都在於使之生長的上帝」（哥林多前書3章7節，當代譯本修訂版），並清楚表明：「因為我們是與上帝同工的。」（9節）

同工就是合作夥伴，而不是競爭對手，我們不僅是與彼此同工，更是與上帝同工！藉著上帝的能力和指引，我們可以成為同工一起服事主，傳揚耶穌的福音，為的是榮耀祂而非榮耀自己。

On July 29, 1955, the United States of America announced its intent to place satellites in space. Soon after, the Soviet Union declared its plans to do the same. The space race had begun. The Soviets would launch the first satellite (Sputnik) and place the first human in space when Yuri Gagarin orbited our planet one time. The race continued until, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong’s “giant leap for mankind” on the surface of the moon would unofficially end the competition. A season of cooperation soon dawned, leading to the creation of the International Space Station.

Sometimes competition can be healthy, driving us to achieve things that otherwise we might not have attempted. At other times, however, competition is destructive. This was a problem in the church at Corinth as different groups latched on to various church leaders as their beacons of hope. Paul sought to address that when he wrote, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7), concluding “for we are co-workers” (v. 9).

Co-workers—not competitors. And not just with one another but with God Himself! Through His empowering and His guidance, we can serve together as fellow workers to advance the message of Jesus, for His honor rather than our own.