Useful to the Master
Last week we saw how to live a strong Christian life, from Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 2. Going on to the second half of this chapter we see him talking about living a useful Christian life.
Would you agree that one of the worst feelings that a person can have is the feeling of being useless? Feeling as if you have nothing to offer is an awful feeling.
We all want to feel useful in life. We all need a sense of purpose, a sense of being able to contribute. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson, the American essayist, who said "the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."
But there are many people in our world who feel a sense of desperation in their lives, because they’ve had to retire or they’ve been retrenched, or they’ve had to leave their job or their passion for some reason, and so they don’t feel useful anymore. They feel as if society is saying thanks but we don’t need you anymore.
Useful to God
In fact I remember a lady at a church in which I used to serve who had cancer. I visited with her a number of times and she was in worse health each time I saw her. Eventually she couldn’t really walk or do anything for herself, and she spoke to me one day of how she used to do Christian counselling, and lead Christian courses, she used to work in various places doing things for God, and now she felt useless. How could God use me, she asked, now that I am bedridden?
Now, on the other side of the coin are those who do many useful things in this world. But nothing useful for God! They throw themselves into building, creating, earning, doing, but God is not a part of any of it. They live useful lives in the world’s eyes, but to God? They’re disinterested in being useful to Him.
Our lives are not just to be useful. They’re meant to be useful to God! And when Paul writes to Timothy here, he touches on this. Looks at v20-21: “In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.” (2 Timothy 2:20–21 NIV)
God-Glorifying Purpose
Anybody can be an instrument for common use in the world. But those born of God get a special purpose and calling. Those born of God can be used by God for wonderful things.
I’ll share some specific ways to be useful in the days to come, but for today ask yourself: am I living a useful life, not just in general, but useful to the Master?
I pray that in our words, our actions, and our faith today, we will be so God-glorifying, that He makes great use of us for His purpose.
