“Pastor, I hope God will use my life as He is using yours.” Those were the words I spoke to my pastor as we rode in a car together one afternoon just outside our nation’s Capitol. I was about 21 years of age and very young in the Lord’s work.
Pastor Sexton was quiet for a few moments before he spoke. What he said next, I will never forget. “Scott, there are two types of people in God’s work: those who are trying to use God, and those who simply allow the Lord to use them.” His words still ring in my ears all these years later. They were the Lord’s message to me.
More than anything in this world I want God to use my life for His glory. We were created to know and enjoy the Lord, but we were also created to fulfill His design in this world (Genesis 1:26-30). God sovereignly and mercifully chooses to work through men and women to accomplish His purposes. Christ’s redemption and the Spirit’s indwelling is not simply to keep us out of hell someday, but to accomplish the Father’s will in us today.
God wants to use you.
One of the vivid illustrations of this truth in the New Testament is the repeated picture of believers as “vessels” through which God works. The Greeks placed a great deal of emphasis on the human body and regularly referred to it as the “vessel.” This humanistic philosophy sought to glorify man. The Holy Spirit chose to use the Word to give us the divine perspective – vessels are meant to be used. We exist for the glory of God.
God shaped man out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). In a real sense, our bodies are just clay pots. We are made to be inhabited and enabled by God. Our spirit becomes the residence of the Spirit of God at the new birth (John 3:5-8).
Paul explained it this way to the Christians in Corinth, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). The treasure is Christ and we are simply the vessels of clay that carry Him in this world.
If this is true, we should desire to be as usable to God as possible. What kind of vessel are you? “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).
We are vessels in the greatest house: God’s spiritual building, the church. We are vessels of a glorious Master: the Lord Jesus Christ. And, we are vessels for the grandest work in the world: the work of the gospel. Shouldn’t we want to be vessels that bring Him honor?
God’s work is less about doing and more about being. If you will be what you ought to be, He will use you to do what you ought to do!
Consider these 4 things that the vessel must be…
- The vessel must be whole. It is not necessary for a vessel to be beautiful to be useful. (This is a great encouragement to me!) Our Lord is not looking for vessels to simply sit around and be admired. He is looking for vessels to use! A leaky vessel is useless. Only Christ can make man whole. We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10). Another great Bible word connected to this thought is the word sincere. It comes from an ancient word that means “no wax.” Dishonest merchants would often take a vessel that had a small crack and fill it with wax, sand it down, paint over it, and sell it in the marketplace. It may have been very nice to look at but the moment heat touched it, the wax melted and the vessel began to leak. It was not sincere. Sincere Christians do not just put on a good show for public consumption; they seek to be people of integrity, complete in Christ. Do you want to be used? Be real.
- The vessel must be clean. Who wants to cook, eat, or drink out of a dirty bowl? Those who want God to use them must continually have their hearts washed with the blood of Jesus and their minds washed with the water of the Word of God. The vessel does not have to be large or great, but it must be clean. Do you want to be used? Be clean.
- The vessel must be available. Only a vessel near at hand is useful. We all are possessions, bought and paid for, by the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Yet it is possible to belong to Him and fail to be available to Him. Be willing and ready for Him to use you in any way that pleases Him. Do you want to be used? Be available.
- The vessel must be open. The purpose of vessels is to carry things, to transfer them from one place or person to another. As vessels, our mission is simply to carry Christ, to convey the grace and truth of God to others. This demands openness. First, we must be open to receiving. The only good thing in us is Christ and His divine resources. Our vessel must be filled with the Word of God and the Spirit of God. Second, we must be open to giving. God pours blessing into a believer’s life, so He can then pour blessings out of that believer and into others. Do you want to be used? Be open.
If you truly want to be used by God, be usable. God is always looking for real, clean, available, open vessels through which He can work.
Don’t seek to use God for your purposes. Don’t settle for being used by others for their agenda. By the grace of God, seek to be a vessel that God can use for His glory.
Thank you and to God be the glory. This helped me today.