Making ourselves useless

What are we doing here on earth?  What is God’s purpose for us? 

Ultimately it comes down to two things:

First, to know him more. 

And second, to touch the world around us for him. 

God could take us straight to heaven and accomplish the first.  But he would be quite limited in doing the second if he took us to heaven right here and now. 

(I suppose he could use our writings or the inspiration people take from our lives to touch others even after our death, for example).

But it is possible to make ourselves useless.  To be a person that God cannot use at all to touch this world.  How can that happen? 

God told the people of Judah,

I bound the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah to me,’ declares the Lord, ‘to be my people for my renown and praise and honor. 

But they have not listened.’  (Jeremiah 13:11)

In other words, God intended Israel and Judah to be a shining light to the nations around them.  That the nations would see God in their midst and be drawn to him. 

But Israel and Judah refused to listen to or obey him.  So God made a graphic picture for them to realize what had happened to them.

He had Jeremiah buy a linen belt, wear it for a while, and then bury it in the ground for a time. 

When Jeremiah finally brought it back out of the ground, it was ruined and completely useless.  God then told Jeremiah,

In the same way I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem. 

These wicked people, who refuse to listen to my words, who follow the stubbornness of their hearts and go after other gods to serve and worship them, will be like this belt – completely useless!  (Jeremiah 13:9-10)

When we in our pride turn from God, refuse to heed his voice and instead follow the stubbornness of our own hearts, following the gods of this world, whether it be idols, or money, or possessions, or whatever it may be, we become like the linen belt:  buried in the ground, ruined, and useless to God.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be that way.  As the old song goes,

My heart’s one desire
Is to be holy
Set apart for You, Lord

I choose to be holy
Set apart for You, my Master
Ready to do Your will.