Are You Useful?

 Are You Useful?

From: Today God Is First by Os Hillman

September 03, 2020

"Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me" (Philemon 11).

Paul's letter to Philemon reveals something about a man named Onesimus. At one time, Paul viewed Onesimus as useless. But while Paul was in chains he treated Onesimus as a son. Something changed in this man that made him useful instead of useless.

When Jesus met Peter, he saw an impetuous man who drew quick conclusions and was very opinionated. Jesus realized Peter had a lot of maturing to do before he would be ready for future leadership, but Jesus saw something in Peter that was going to be useful once the rough edges were removed.

Both of these men were illustrations of how spiritual maturity transforms the "useless" among us to heroes in the Kingdom of God.

The reference to someone being a fool was not necessarily a negative term. A simple fool, or peti, was a person who made mistakes, but quickly righted them and was restored to fellowship with God and with others. King David was a simple fool, one who made mistakes, but kept a repentant heart toward God. This is why God did not turn away from him for his many sins.

The hardened fool, kesil and ewil, makes mistakes but never learns from them, is not repentant and will not listen to correction. Such people can expect God's reproof to continue and they will eat the fruit of their own way (see Proverbs 1:31-32). The hardened fool "returns to his own vomit." King Saul was a hardened fool, one who made mistakes and continued to do so even after realizing he was wrong.

We are going to err in our ways. The question is, once we know we have made a mistake before God, do we make the necessary adjustments that will allow Him to intervene on our behalf? Will we avoid the same course of action in the future?

God says that if we do, He will pour out His Spirit on us (see Proverbs 1:23).

When you work with people who have strong personalities but may be immature in their faith, you must discern if they are simple fools or hardened fools. This is one of the aspects of their lives that God will use to tell you whether to invest time and resources into them, for he would not have any worthy vessel to be overlooked; neither would he have you to "cast his pearls before swine."