"Utilizing or Using?"

“Utilizing or Using?”

 

Many years ago my father knew two men engaged in different professions on Long Island. Both these men were solid believers so Dad was startled when each told him separately that they didn’t like to deal with other Christians in their businesses. The reason was the same in both cases: their fellow-believers expected to pay less for their services than they would pay a non-Christian. In other words, these men felt used rather than utilized by God’s people.

It’s human nature to be selfish and try to use people to one’s best advantage. But as Christians we have been made new creatures in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) and as such “…have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man….” (Colossians 3:9-10). Paul reminds us that we are to consider others better than ourselves and look on the interests of others as well as our own (see Philippians 2:3-4). If by our actions we show our brethren that the only reason we call, visit, or acknowledge their presence is when we want something from them it’s a sad commentary on what it’s like to be part of Christ’s body—they can find that in the dog-eat-dog world they live in every day!

I once declined to give a Christian woman the name of a Christian craftsman in her area whom I knew when she made it clear she expected a discount on his work.  But before we say we’d never do something like that let’s think of how we sometimes treat God. How much of our praying is asking for things rather than praising Him? How much of our service is rendered when it fits into our plans rather than His? How much of our giving is done after we’ve taken what we want rather than putting Him first? In other words, we often seek to use God for our own advantage just as we do people. To paraphrase (and maybe twist) President Kennedy’s words: “Ask not what I can do for God; ask rather what He can do for me.”

Paul admonished believers in Rome to “…offer yourselves to God….” (Romans 6:13). So let’s stop using God (and His people) and give ourselves to Him to be utilized for His glory.

Blessings!

Jim McMillan