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How can God use me?

 The question itself is stirring and intriguing. Somehow, for some reason, the same God who created Earth, Mars, interstellar space, and every single one of the billions of stars in the sky wants to put me to work. The same God who met Abraham outside a tent, Moses on a mountain, and Paul on a dusty road desires to meet me in the sometimes turbulent and often mundane circumstances of my life.

It’s difficult not to be humbled by the thought of God’s involvement in the routine and redundancy of our daily lives.  And more humbling still, it’s in that self-perceived monotony that God wants to utilize me for His purposes. Yet, I think of all the times that I've flipped the question around, only to recognize it in hindsight: How can I use God? It’s sad, really—how I so often view the Creator of the Universe as my spiritual ATM machine: stick in a prayer and out comes an instantaneous blessing. Prayer becomes centered around one thing—asking.  

From weather to sports to financial prosperity, I petition God with relatively inconsequential, self-centered requests. Sometimes, glorifying and worshiping Him might be the last item on my prayer “to-do list,” if it’s on my mind at all.  As Jesus demonstrated in the Lord’s Prayer—our model—petitioning God was lower on the priority list.  He asked for “this day our daily bread” after first recognizing God’s holiness and then demonstrating obedience to His will.

Jesus’ life illustrated the power in choosing to be used by God, rather than attempting to manipulate the Father for our own purposes. Through His work, the world has the opportunity for redemption and reconciliation to Him. He truly lived a life of service. 

Paul says it best in Philippians 2: “Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but…humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (v.4-8).

If, as Christians, Christ is the standard by which we seek to live, then we should naturally look to His example. Few of us will face death as a result of our obedience to God’s will.  But Paul’s message is clear—don’t merely seek personal gain; look for ways to improve the lives of others.

So if we’re truly seeking ways to be used by God, serving others is a great place to start. Peter says that each one of us has received a “special gift.” And as good stewards of God’s blessings, we should employ those gifts to help others (1 Peter 4:9-10). As Dr. Stanley explains in “Can God Use You?”, Peter isn’t speaking of “some exceptional miraculous kind of thing. [He means] a gift that is suited to your personality.”

Sometimes, it’s tempting to wait for a Damascus Road experience—some type of divine, unprecedented encounter with God when we learn our purpose on earth and our talents in one majestic instance. Yet, in reality, most of us will learn God’s purpose in much more slow and subtle ways.

In the meantime, why not volunteer at a soup kitchen, a recovery center or a battered women’s shelter? Jesus often spoke about the poor, sick and disadvantaged—“the least of these,” He called them. In fact, it’s hard to turn through a page of the Gospels without Christ making at least one reference to the underprivileged in society. Why not serve God by serving them?

I believe that’s the nature of being used by God. That first small step of obedience begins a journey which progressively gains momentum and snowballs, much like an avalanche down a mountain, until we realize we’re not the ones in control anymore, but God is working through us.

No longer will we wonder how to use God, how to manipulate the power given through the Holy Spirit. Instead, we’re humbled by the work that God accomplishes through us. And that’s the power of service. It’s not about us. It’s not even about those we serve. It’s all for Him.

adapted from writing Humbled by Service ~ by Robert Bruce