Thursday, April 3, 2025

            If I were to ask you for the opposite of useful, you would likely say useless.  We all have our sense of what is useful and useless.  We probably all have things that are useful and useless in our homes.  It may surprise you to learn that these two words factored prominently in one of Paul’s letters in the Bible.  Philemon is only one chapter long and can be easily read in less than five minutes.  Paul wrote this letter to his “dear friend and fellow worker” Philemon.  The apostle went on to name two other people in the opening greeting—Apphia and Achippus.  All these people were believers in and servants of Christ.  Paul added, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers” (Philemon 4). 
            Paul specifically wrote this letter to offer a plea on behalf of another believer named Onesimus.  This unusual name literally means “useful.”  Paul wrote, “Formerly, he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and me” (Philemon 11).  It may seem simplistic to emphasize that Onesimus lived up to his name but he did.  And admirably so.  Paul said that this man was like a “son” to him.  We do not know a specific list of things that Onesimus did to assist or impress Paul.  Likely, he supported Paul’s writing and church planting ministry.  He could have assisted and supported Paul physically as the apostle began to age and suffer from some of the brutal experiences that he encountered.  He could have been an invaluable intercessor for Paul—praying ceaselessly as Paul served the cause of Christ and shared the gospel message on his missionary journeys.  He could have encouraged Paul by reading Scripture to him.
            The lesson for us is to live usefully.  We are not to pursue fame or attention but utility.  We want to serve as Onesimus did—quietly and in ways that bless others and advance the Kingdom of Christ.  We can pray for others.  We can share the good news of Jesus with those who have never met Him in a saving way.  We can use the gifts, abilities and blessings that we have been given to serve Christ selflessly and sacrificially.  If God has blessed us with resources, we can use them to support the work of missions locally and globally.  We are to live “sent lives” and to make serving Christ our daily mission wherever we may be.
            Often the first step in living usefully is our availability.  We want to make ourselves available to the Lord when we see opportunities where we can make a difference.  God can equip and enable us if we step up with a willingness to serve. A second step might be trying some new ways and places to serve.  Just because you have never done something previously does not mean you can never do it.  Often, we have to act in faith and trust that God provides.  Paul spoke about this matter in his first letter to the Corinthians.  He wrote about people who were willing to scatter seeds and to sow seeds; to water and nourish those seeds while trusting God would do something extraordinary that brings the glory to Him.  The apostle wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8). God makes things grow—and only God!
            Usefulness and availability can often lead to any number of ways that God’s work goes forward and that people come to know the Lord in a personal and saving relation-ship.  We do not have to grab the microphone or spotlight to be useful to the Lord.  We can serve faithfully and quietly, consistently and steadily, eagerly and humbly.  We can trust God to add the increase when we desire nothing more than to be useful to Him.  J.C. Ryle once wrote, “The last day will prove that some of the holiest men that ever lived are hardly known.” Ryle was emphasizing humility and modesty in our service to Christ.  Some of the Kingdom’s most faithful and tireless servants are likely men and women whose names are neither known nor recorded in written form.  We are not to look to make a name for ourselves but to make much out of the name of Christ—the name that is above all names and the only name with the power to save and transform those who call upon it.  Have a great Thursday!