It’s interesting to see how God chooses to use different people in different ways:
8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
Ephraim is my helmet,
Judah my scepter.
9Moab is my washbasin;
upon Edom I cast my shoe;
over Philistia I shout in triumph.” Psalm 108:7–9
In this passage, God claims the territories of Gilead and Manasseh for His very own. And notice how God treats Ephraim and Judah (two of the tribes of Israel)
with the importance that a king would place on his own personal helmet and royal scepter. But also notice how God’s enemies, the nations of Moab and Edom, are demeaned and humiliated. He treats Moab like a washbowl for washing off the dirt and blood of battle, and He takes off his grimy boots and tosses them on Edom!Paul applies that same idea to living a Christian life:
Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 22So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:20–22
Let’s use an illustration to translate that into the present day:
Imagine a new Secret Service agent who gets picked to stand next to the President, while he makes an appearance at the new agent’s hometown high school. The agent will stand next to the President with pride before his family and childhood friends. While the agents are waiting they duck into a little nearby restaurant. The newbie is starving to death so he foolishly orders spaghetti and meatballs and proceeds to splash spaghetti sauce on the front of his shirt just as the Presidential motorcade arrives. Guess who’s not going to be standing next to the President in his hometown gymnasium!?
We all would like to think that our life actually matters. . . that it’s a life that has true value. Think about it. Why do celebrities join a cause or jump on some bandwagon? Adopt a pet. Save the whales. Protect the snowy owl. Rescue the silvery minnow. Some of their causes sound so superficial that you get the impression that they are frantically snatching at anything that might give their lives some kind of meaning and value.
So what about you? Do you want your life to really matter? Are you searching for some way to make a difference? Then let God have it for His own personal use . . . like the king’s helmet and scepter.
Question: But how do I qualify for a life that has such meaning?
Answer: Live a life that’s clean, honorable, and fit for the Master’s use.