You are Being Used.

Since I left home and came to Virginia, I have been questioning a lot of things.

Why am I here?
Should I be in this major?
Am I as strong as I thought I was?

You get the idea.

Yesterday I had the coolest realization, that has just been reinforced over and over again in the past 48 hours.

My Question: Am I being of use to the Lord?

I am taking a New Testament Survey class. In which we are to read the entire New Testament by the end of the semester, and read corresponding text with it. Currently I'm in the gospel of Mark.

In my reading of the text also assigned for the class, the author is giving an overview of information that he believes we should know in order to understand the writings of the New Testament.

Throughout the text, the author is talking about different historic events in which different rulers controlled Israel. They are talking about different courses of events in which languages changed for the land, and other factual evidence like that.

Reading the text, I realized something. God had a purpose for each and every person in these historic stories. Even the worst of the rulers, God used for His purpose. Even what seemed to be the worst possible events, God knew they were coming, and He knew exactly how to use them to better His Kingdom.

This arose the question in my heart:

If God can use the most wicked of people to better His Kingdom, why couldn't He use me?

This thought process continued. I thought about all that I had just learned and all that I read about, and this question came up:

If we are saved, if we choose to give our lives to God, and know that we are going to heaven, why doesn't God just snatch us up from earth right then? Why keep us down here?

My answer to that question is this:

God doesn't need you. He doesn't need me. He didn't even need Moses or Paul or Peter. God can do it all by himself. He created us not because he needed us. He created us because he loves us and because he is the definition of love. He wanted relationship, just like we so desire relationship. God doesn't take our free will just because He is our Creator. He loves us and wants us to love him back, so he leaves the choice to us; Do you love me? Loving God means we give up our own Kingship position in our life, and set God in that position. It means we no longer are in control. It means we are not the most important thing to our life, but God is.

When God is the most important part of your life, your life should reflect that. Following his will and is word. The reason God doesn't take us the moment we decide to love him, is because we are here to be his warriors. We are here to fight the battle on God' side. He uses us to better his Kingdom and to fulfil his plan. If it were up to us, we would say, "Take me to heaven now." If it were up to me, I would want to be in heaven. Not down here with the cancer, and pain, and sadness. I would want to be with my Creator who loves me more than anyone on this planet ever could. But thats why it's not up to us. Life isn't about you or me, it is about the Lord. It is about his purpose, and his Kingdom, and his plan being fulfilled.

So next time you question, "why am I here," remember that you are here because you are useful to God.

I am useful to God. I am helping God fulfil his purpose.

Everyone want's to be a part of something bigger than themselves, right?
You are a part of God's plan--doesn't get any bigger than that.

Be confident in who you are.
Be confident in why you're here.
Be confident in the Lord.

Don't take this mission lightly, allow God to use you.

Chao, loves.

xo/Austin