No one desires to be useless — most of us want to be useful. God made us unique, special for His purpose, and useful. Yet what we focus on in life (physical incapacity, lack of education, or a personality quirk, etc.) will determine whether we will be useful or useless to God.

Jeremiah 1:1-10 enumerates how we can be useful to God:

GOD’S CALLING (Jeremiah 1:1-5)

Jeremiah was called by God when he was around 17 years old, and he was the last prophet God appointed during one of the darkest parts of Israel’s history: before the invasion of and exile to Babylon. The name “Jeremiah” means Yahweh appoints (v.1), and Jeremiah lived up to his name by faithfully serving the Lord over 50 years as he served many kings (vv. 2-3). He was useful and faithful to God.

God spoke 4 words to Jeremiah (vv.4-5):

• “formed” (a potter making a masterpiece out of clay): God loves us (Psalm 139:13-14). He is a redeeming God and has a wonderful plan for our lives despite all our foolish decisions.

• “knew” (the deepest form of intimacy): Psalm 139:1-2,4 comforts us. Whatever we’re going through, God is there. He knows what’s going on in our life.

• “consecrated” (set apart): God has a book written with our name on it, and in that book is His amazing plan for our life. Such is the depth and the richness of the calling of God in our lives (Psalm 139:16).

• “appointed” (intentionally putting someone in a specific position by someone of authority - John 15:16): True followers of Jesus have been appointed as ministers (2 Corinthians 5:18) and ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20).

When God appoints, He intends for His followers to become more like Jesus. When we focus and respond to God’s calling, regardless of our circumstances, we will serve God consistently and faithfully.

GOD’S PROMISES (Jeremiah 1:6-7)

Even though Jeremiah was very young, God said He would be his enabler (vv.6-7). Nothing will stop him. God is going to work and speak through Jeremiah.

GOD’S PRESENCE (Jeremiah 1:8-10)

Throughout history, the presence of God is His greatest assurance to His people, as seen in the story of Moses (Exodus 3,4) and Gideon (Judges 6). The same goes for Jeremiah who placed his confidence in God (vv.8-9) and whose many pronouncements were also extended to many other nations (v.10). God, through His Holy Spirit, can use us to break down, destroy, and overthrow people’s wrong thinking and misguided worldviews — spiritual barriers that are against the truth of God. The Holy Spirit works through ordinary people who are called by God so that we can plant the seeds of the gospel. We can build up people in their relationship with Jesus to help them become more like Him.

To be USEFUL, the attitude of the heart must be with HUMILITY. Conversely, there are ways to be useless to God. The word “worthless” in the original Hebrew is equivalent to the English words “no” or “not” when translated — it means good for nothing. Jeremiah 13:1-11 enumerates the factors where God considers people useless:

1. Doing it my way: When we reject or “refuse to listen to God’s words”; when obeying is inconvenient, difficult, and is not aligned with our preferences.

2. Making it my will: When we “walk in the stubbornness of our hearts”, we are self-centered and self-gratifying to please ourselves rather than honor God

3. Having idols: When we “have gone after other gods” by pursuing money, pleasure, success, popularity, and people rather than God, or have embraced a “do-it-yourself (DIY) spirituality”

To be USELESS, the attitude of the heart must be with PRIDE.

This life is a battlefield, but even before we step into the battlefield, Jesus is already there. Furthermore, when our time is up to leave the battlefield, we will go to Him and will be with Him forever.

God has given us the capacity to love. God has given us the capacity to choose. Choose to be USEFUL.

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LAST WEEK’S MEMORY VERSE

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5)