Useful

2 Peter 1:8

“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Something significant to recognize about God’s grace is that we humans are depraved, and that “…there is no one who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:3)  This is why we need His grace, and makes His grace all the more special, because He chose to give it even as we sinned against Him.  I find myself dwelling on this sometimes, though; this means that I have nothing to give the Lord, nothing worthy of Him.  I start to feel useless and depressed.  Once again, my focus has drawn in on myself, rather than on God and what He has done.

While it is true that I can give Him nothing worthy - John the Baptist put it “…the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27) - the verse above in 2 Peter is heartening.  My depravity may render me useless, but Christ overcame my depravity when I accepted His gift of salvation.  2 Peter 1:5-8 says, “…applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (You might parallel “these qualities” with the fruit of the spirit that Paul outlines in Galatians 5:22-23.)

I am struck again by what seems to be the root:  “…in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Knowledge of God is so precious because of what it can spur us to do, yet, as the rest of the list implies, we are not to seek for its own sake, but toward the end of becoming more like Christ - and of being useful to Him.  Not because I myself have the use, but because Christ empowers me to be useful to Him.  “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

This is most definitely a part of His grace, and I thank God that He empowers His children to be useful despite our lack.  May I keep my heart pliable to change according to what He teaches me.