Thursday, February 5, 2009

True Usefulness

I was asking God today, "Lord, what is true usefulness actually? What really make a man truly useful in Your eyes?"

2 Timothy 2:20-21 came to mind:
NIV: 20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

NLT: 20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

AMP: 20But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also [utensils] of wood and earthenware, and some for honorable and noble [use] and some for menial and ignoble [use]. 21So whoever cleanses himself [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] will [then himself] be a vessel set apart and useful for honorable and noble purposes, consecrated and profitable to the Master, fit and ready for any good work.
Was mulling over the verse. And I think I'm starting to understand. True usefulness in God's eyes is not about how well you can do something, but how pure your heart is for God. How devoted you are to Him. If God can use even a wooden staff...

Would I be willing to do anything and everything God wanted me to do, no matter how tiny or menial it is?
Acts 13:22
After removing Saul, [God] made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'
And in light of certain happenings, I've come to realize that no matter how many big-looking and impressive things you may do for the Lord... ultimately, if you are not careful to walk right with God and be pure for Him... He can't and won't want to use you very much then. What a dismaying thought.
1 Samuel 15:22-23
But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king."
Obedience before competence. Purity before passion. Availability before ability.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You seen IP MAN? It really shows how your enemy will also respect and work with you if you can value add in usefulness.

Likewise, how are we as Christians in the marketplace? How do we add value as His people representing His Church?

Like IP MAN, even in times of persecution, the world will even think twice about opposing us as we become very much integrated and needed in our community.

yeu@nn said...

Hey Andrew! hmm... tt's interesting... IP Man... i keep thinking about a very grumpy man at a LAN game shop assigning IP addresses to his customers... hahah!!!

but more seriously, i respectfully disagree with the part about ppl respecting us if we can value add in usefulness...

i agree with the value-add part, but not so much about the usefulness (as in terms of ability).

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he makes even his enemies live at peace with him.

I believe it'll be our characters and how we respond to trials and our own failures and inadequacies, that others will see just how real our faith in God is...

"Like IP MAN, even in times of persecution, the world will even think twice about opposing us as we become very much integrated and needed in our community."

hmm... i've been thinking about it for a long while... and i think they will think twice about opposing us only when they see our good lives (in terms of character and love and integrity)... not about our abilities...

after all, Christ wasn't very useful to the world when He was hanging helplessly on the cross... but as he had prayed earlier, "Not my will, but Yours be done."

1 Peter 3:13-17 (AMP)
13Now who is there to hurt you if you are [d]zealous followers of that which is good?

14But even in case you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, [you are] blessed (happy, to be envied). Do not dread or be afraid of their threats, nor be disturbed [by their opposition].

15But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.(B)

16[And see to it that] your conscience is entirely clear ([e]unimpaired), so that, when you are falsely accused as evildoers, those who threaten you abusively and revile your right behavior in Christ may come to be ashamed [of slandering your good lives].

17For [it is] better to suffer [unjustly] for doing right, if that should be God's will, than to suffer [justly] for doing wrong.

Hee... I read tis book about being a Christian in the mktplace by Ed Silvoso... where he had refused to cheat on some bills, and his boss screamed at him for his not cheating, but the Holy Spirit gave him wisdom to reply: "Boss, if i refuse to cheat on this bill, wouldn't that show that i will not cheat you as well?" And his boss was so stunned when he heard that. :)

Haha, just my ten-cent's worth of wat i understand the Bible to say abt this... :P

Anonymous said...

Just as much as we strive to understand the bible, we also need to equally strive to understand or be in tuned with our world.

Why? So we can bridge the gap between the church/our faith and the marketplace/reality.

Christ's will was to die for the world to atone our sins and to fulfill the prophecies. So I dun think we can use that and say that all of us must follow exactly his fate.

What we must learn about Christ is His love and obedience to the Father. The spirit and principle, not form.

Didn't He say we would do greater things that He?

If we want to be salt and light in this world. Like Jesus said, we need to be "scheming as serpents and gentle as doves".

Understanding our world, it works differently from christian beliefs or values. The world is a dog eat dog place, and nobody does anything without benefiting from it.

So if they make friends with you, they must find some "value" or use. I think this is very human, even we also do the same in ministry right?

Like how we are taught if this person not so receptive to spiritual things, we don't spend so much time on that person etc...

We also see how people choose friends who are rich and not the poor.

Like at work, our employers only hire us because we got something to offer- our skills or talents. If we don't have that or incompetent, they will just replace us right?

So value-adding should be a natural as we grow as a Christian- in character and in service.

Paul also teaches that in 1 Thessolonians 4:11-12

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody."

If we are dependent, we become a burden and a borrower and consumer. But when we are independent, we are able to help others- value add by being a lender and producer.

Hope my two-cent worth's is not too much to digest. And sorry if it is not presented concisely, written in a haste and very late in the night =)