Available & Usable in the Master's hands. I was listening to a sermon recently and the speaker said something that hit home real good and got me thinking - "It's not enough to be available, you must be usable in God's hands.
2 Timothy 2:20 "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
For a long time - until recently, I've always believed that God can use anyone and anything. Picture this; God created everything and all creation is definitely at His beck and call and He can summon it to pass on His message as and when He wills. The story of Balaam and his donkey in Numbers 22 always comes to mind anytime there is a discussion of God's freedom to use anything to speak to us. I mean if a donkey can be given the ability to communicate with Balaam, then surely anything goes don't you think? One vital thing we miss however is the reason as to exactly why God felt the need to give the donkey the capability to speak.
Balaam had stubbornly insisted on continuing with his journey to go see Balak and never at once wondered why his donkey was adamantly refusing to continue with the journey. He instead resorted to beating it and getting it back on the road. Many times we are so stubborn that God is forced to resort to unconventional ways to get our attention. He picks something that you least expect to catch your attention. I'm trying to picture the conversation between Balaam and his donkey - was he not even afraid that this animal that he had always used to take him places was speaking to him. If I was in his shoes I would have run very fast the moment I heard that donkey talk and go watch it from far just to check out exactly what was going on. This guy however went ahead and made conversation with the donkey and even threatened it - if only I had a sword in my hand I would kill you. Like who does that??? That just shows the level of Balaam's stubbornness . Anyway, I digress.
Bottom line - if you desire to be used of God, you have a part to play. It is not enough to just desire and pray and make yourself available. You need to sanctify yourself and present yourself to God as one approved. There definitely is God's part in preparing us for the work He calls us to do but the greatest responsibility lies with us. Think about this, if you need a glass of water you wouldn't use a dirty glass, would you? No matter how thirsty you are, you will take it upon yourself to clean a glass first then use it & in extreme cases, if there isn't any available clean glass you will pass on that water. How much more then does God desire to use a vessel that is cleansed and purged? Many are the times I've heard conversations with people who convince themselves that God hasn't called them and so this is a hustle they just don't want to go through. "Let me just sit here and enjoy my salvation as I wait for eternity".
Allow me humbly burst that bubble. As long as you are a christian and have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have a calling to populate the Kingdom of God. Just as the parable of the sower, we are to be like the good ground on which seed fell on and yielded a hundred fold. When you hear the word of God, let it yield fruit in you and in turn draw others to the kingdom of God. Christ gave His disciples the great commission which extends even to us - the present day disciples.
Matthew 28:19-20"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age".
Seeing as each of us has a role to play in God's Kingdom, 2 Timothy 2:14-24 gives us just some of the pointers I believe that the Apostle Paul pointed out we could actively work on to ensure that we purge/cleanse/sanctify ourselves ready for the Master's use.
Verse 14 - "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit to the ruin of the hearers".
Verse 15 - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth".
Verse 16 - "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungoldiness.
Verse 22 - "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart".
Verse 23 - "But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes knowing that they generate strife".
Verse 24 - "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps grant them repentance so that they may know the truth".
For a long time - until recently, I've always believed that God can use anyone and anything. Picture this; God created everything and all creation is definitely at His beck and call and He can summon it to pass on His message as and when He wills. The story of Balaam and his donkey in Numbers 22 always comes to mind anytime there is a discussion of God's freedom to use anything to speak to us. I mean if a donkey can be given the ability to communicate with Balaam, then surely anything goes don't you think? One vital thing we miss however is the reason as to exactly why God felt the need to give the donkey the capability to speak.
Balaam had stubbornly insisted on continuing with his journey to go see Balak and never at once wondered why his donkey was adamantly refusing to continue with the journey. He instead resorted to beating it and getting it back on the road. Many times we are so stubborn that God is forced to resort to unconventional ways to get our attention. He picks something that you least expect to catch your attention. I'm trying to picture the conversation between Balaam and his donkey - was he not even afraid that this animal that he had always used to take him places was speaking to him. If I was in his shoes I would have run very fast the moment I heard that donkey talk and go watch it from far just to check out exactly what was going on. This guy however went ahead and made conversation with the donkey and even threatened it - if only I had a sword in my hand I would kill you. Like who does that??? That just shows the level of Balaam's stubbornness . Anyway, I digress.
Bottom line - if you desire to be used of God, you have a part to play. It is not enough to just desire and pray and make yourself available. You need to sanctify yourself and present yourself to God as one approved. There definitely is God's part in preparing us for the work He calls us to do but the greatest responsibility lies with us. Think about this, if you need a glass of water you wouldn't use a dirty glass, would you? No matter how thirsty you are, you will take it upon yourself to clean a glass first then use it & in extreme cases, if there isn't any available clean glass you will pass on that water. How much more then does God desire to use a vessel that is cleansed and purged? Many are the times I've heard conversations with people who convince themselves that God hasn't called them and so this is a hustle they just don't want to go through. "Let me just sit here and enjoy my salvation as I wait for eternity".
Allow me humbly burst that bubble. As long as you are a christian and have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have a calling to populate the Kingdom of God. Just as the parable of the sower, we are to be like the good ground on which seed fell on and yielded a hundred fold. When you hear the word of God, let it yield fruit in you and in turn draw others to the kingdom of God. Christ gave His disciples the great commission which extends even to us - the present day disciples.
Matthew 28:19-20"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of age".
Seeing as each of us has a role to play in God's Kingdom, 2 Timothy 2:14-24 gives us just some of the pointers I believe that the Apostle Paul pointed out we could actively work on to ensure that we purge/cleanse/sanctify ourselves ready for the Master's use.
Verse 14 - "Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit to the ruin of the hearers".
Verse 15 - "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth".
Verse 16 - "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungoldiness.
Verse 22 - "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart".
Verse 23 - "But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes knowing that they generate strife".
Verse 24 - "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps grant them repentance so that they may know the truth".