If you're a believer, you certainly want to be used by God for His glory. Maybe some or maybe a little or maybe a lot, but all believers have their hearts tuned to God to some extent. So we want to be used by God for His glory. How's that working for you? The question, of course, is more complex than it first appears. You want to be useful to God. How do you know if you are? That is, by what do we measure "useful"?
God declares that our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked (Jer 17:9), so Paul says we need to be renewing our minds (Rom 12:2). God told His people, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isa 55:8-9). Obviously, then, we're going to have a problem. Does what we consider "useful" line up with what God considers "useful." I would argue that it typically does not. Take, for instance, Jesus's words on Judas Iscariot. "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!" (Luke 22:22). Judas was "determined" to be the one who would betray Christ. That betrayal was necessary, but ... evil. Judas ... was "useful" in his sin. Or how about Joseph's brothers? "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result" (Gen 50:20). Joseph's brothers sought to kill him and eventually sold him into slavery. Not good ... but it was useful to God. I would argue that we have a hard time, lacking omniscience, accurately measuring "useful to God."
Scripture talks about special people that are loved by God. David was "a man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22) John was "the disciple that Jesus loved" (John 21:7). Peter says we should add to our faith a list of qualities (2 Peter 1:5-7). He concludes, "For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:8). Paul writes, "Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" (2 Tim 2:20-21). So remember that when you pray and when you act to serve God. Don't measure your effectiveness by the obvious results. Consider your character like Peter and Paul told us to do. Consider your heart ... are you pursuing God or your own interests? But don't look at the results and conclude, "That didn't work." You don't get to decide that. God will use whatever He will use to accomplish His best, and that's useful.
11 comments:
It is so odd how this borders so closely to Fatalism, and yet it's no where near it, and is a stress reliever and hope in our most powerful and good God.
The question, “Am I useful to God?” is usually not one I enjoy considering, since I feel that I have failed even in the foremost task I could pursue: leading my two children to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But as you say, lacking omniscience, I can’t know what the future holds--nor the influences upon others that might have occurred along my Christian journey. I have a personal notion (perhaps a crazy one!) that some of the long period of eternity in the afterlife will be occupied with a “playback” of sorts of all the significant encounters of my earthly life, where I will “relive” each interaction that involved a spiritual conversation, witnessing incident, discipleship effort, etc. (This might be part of that “giving account/receiving judgment” event mentioned in Matt. 12:36, Rom. 14:12, 2 Cor. 5:10, etc.) During this “replay,” God would show me how He used me in the lives of others and (hopefully) the advancement of His kingdom. I actually believe that all believers will experience this as a group--i.e. that life on earth, from beginning of time to the end, will replay, and all the paths that crossed for all of us which had eternal outcomes will be evident. Then we will all see exactly how God used us to His glory.
(See, I told you I was quite familiar with those rabbit trails!)
I wonder how often we engage in things that we decide would be useful to YHWH, and those things end up being the complete opposite of useful to Him?
I would argue that He causes all things to work together for good ... but I do get the idea that we have just as much of a difficulty recognizing our usefulness as we do figuring out what He finds useful.
Craig,
Since (I believe) you are engaged in the construction industry, you might find 1 Corinthians chapter 3 especially germane, particularly verses 11-15:
“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”
I agree--it would be nice to know now if we are pursuing good works or not, rather than see them burn up later!
Stan, I absolutely agree that He can use anything for good. Yet, I still suspect that we do a lot of things because we think that they're useful rather than considering what YHWH thinks would be useful.
Lorna, the process of building a house is full of things that can be used as examples of Christian living and faith. I think it really comes down to us listening to ourselves or listening to YHWH.
On the "replay" idea, I suspect the answer is two-sided. First, we probably won't care at that point. We're with Him!! Now ... why did that happen? Who cares?? On the other hand, I think we will "see clearly" (1 Cor 13:12). I once explained to someone who asked that we will have everything in heaven that it takes to make us happy. I sincerely believe that it won't be what we're thinking today, but it will be complete.
Craig, I was agreeing with you, actually. We have a hard time figuring out God's purposes, so we have a hard time figuring out how to be "useful." So I'm grateful for things like "Do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say" (Matt 10:19).
I appreciate your input on my notion. “Who cares??” Well, I for one care. I think that seeing how God worked during all the generations of life on earth will bring Him glory--as I see what He did through each of His followers as He built His Church and established His kingdom, worked through Satan’s ploys all those generations, and fulfilled His perfect will on earth. I particularly like the idea of learning the outcome of any endeavors I undertook to serve God and to be useful to Him--without knowing the “obvious results,” as you say in your post; such a “replay” would make that all so clear and gratifying, I think (assuming my work is not burned up!).
I guess you answered that question. As for me ... being in the presence of my Savior will be sufficient.
Yes, I too will be glad to be with the Lord; I was thinking beyond that obvious point, in keeping with the theme of your post: Can I know for sure that I am being useful to God? (which thoughtful believers would indeed wonder, as you said). I believe that God will answer that for us when we “see clearly” how “He cause[d] all things to work together for good.” Clearly, there is examination and judgment of our words and deeds in the afterlife (with some of it burned up as “wood, hay, straw”). Clearly, too, God has a perfect will and a plan to which we are not fully privy during our lifetimes. As I said, I for one anticipate learning all about that.
P.S. My apologies for belaboring my point (and offering a collective comment longer than your post). I know I lightheartedly called my thoughts a “rabbit trail,” but I do consider the issue of “how will my words and deeds be judged by God?” an important topic and not one to dismiss with just a “Heaven will be perfect, and that’s all I care about” (in which case, why even consider the question you raised?). As I said, your post caused me to think beyond my preliminary response.
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