Useful

Useful – this word hit me out of the blue the other day. Specifically, useful vs. used. Stay with me on this one. We all love things that are useful – they help us and often times make things easier. It takes courage, vulnerability and love to be useful to others in their time of need. Used, on the other hand, is a word that has never been popular. No one likes to be used. One word reflects a fullness of life while the other indicates an ending (ie. used up).

Taking this a step further – I am learning that I can only be useful when I am doing what I am called to do; focusing on the things which truly fill me with joy and a sense of accomplishment. For me this is when I am writing or sharing my life and faith with friends. We need God’s strength in order to be useful in our calling and to achieve our dreams. However, on the flip side, when we get so tied up in what we think “needs” to get done each day and wrapped up in our own agenda or what others think we should be doing with our life, we feel used up; dry, depleted.

In my one shot at this crazy life, my goal is to be more useful than used. My desire for all of us is that we rely on God to show us where He can make us useful; rather than trying to create a busy pace that makes us feel used up. Being aware of being useful vs. being used will make all the difference. Praying you find a fullness to your talents that fill you with joy – knowing you have used them to be useful in someone’s life.

Resources/Inspiration:

Verses:

Ephesians 4:32 (AMPC) – “And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

II Timothy 3:16 (ICB) – “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right.”

Reading Plan (on the Bible App):

Useful For His Kingdom

Book:

Pathways: From Providence to Purpose by Dr. Tony Evans

SXSWedu Talk:

Daring Classrooms by Brene Brown – I would call this “it takes courage to be useful”. A great talk for teachers and moms.