Make Yourself Usable

"...in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." -- Ephesians 2:21-22 (NKJV)

I have got this miscellaneous bucket of Legos. On their own, those pieces seem useless. Scattered, unconnected, not contributing to anything. But when someone with a master plan puts those pieces together, and they begin to take shape, now they become useful. Every piece in its place. Every piece is being used. But as long as a piece stays in the bucket, it does not help anybody.

Paul tells us in Ephesians 2 that the church is a building - a holy temple - and every one of us is a stone in that structure, being fitted together by God Himself. The question is not whether God has a place for you. He does. The question is whether you are willing to be placed where He wants you.

When I was around ten or eleven years old, my dad handed me a pile of rocks, some gravel, and a batch of mixed concrete. He said, "Josh, you're going to build a wall around this particular part of our driveway." I asked him what to do when a rock did not fit. He said, "That's what the hammer and chisel are for. Break it down and shape it until it fits." That rock wall still stands there today.

I took those irregular, uniquely shaped rocks and chipped and pieced them together until they fit just right. Many times, I would try to shape a rock for a particular spot and just could not make it work. So I set it aside and tried another one until I found just the right stone for that section of the wall.

That is what God does with you. He sees His grand design. He looks at every stone available to Him. And He says about you, "Here is a unique piece. On its own, it may seem ordinary. But given to Me, it can become useful. Unique and perfectly placed."

I used to pray, "God, use me however You want to use me." My mentor, Dr. Bill Bennett, heard me one day and said, "Josh, stop praying 'God use me.'" I said I just wanted God to use me. He said, "Make yourself usable, and God will wear you out."

Have you made yourself usable? Have you laid your stone at the altar and said, "I am committed, not only to the universal worldwide church but also to my particular local church and to these specific people." You do not just belong to God. You belong to each other. And when every piece is in its place, the building becomes exactly what He always had in mind.

Reflection Question: Have you truly made yourself usable, not just as a believer, but as a committed, available part in your local church?

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for having a place in Your church just for me. Forgive me for staying scattered and disconnected when You designed me to be fitted and placed. Today I lay myself at Your feet. Shape me, chip away what does not fit, and place me exactly where You need me. I belong not only to You but to the church You have called me to. Help me to show up and make myself usable for Your glory. In Jesus' Name, amen.

Adapted from: You Belong (Ephesians 2:19-22): https://www.joshfranklin.org/media/vzdhfww/10-you-belong-eph-2-19-22