Daily Devotional – I’m Normal.™ I AM Ministries
“To promote Godly living in a culture committed to destroying it”
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Intended Use
A few years ago, my weekly Bible study worksheet asked us to define the word “sanctification”. This appeared to be one of those easy questions that required no real thought, just parroting back known information. I quickly wrote down “set apart for sacred use”, the definition I had heard so many times from others. Because I was in a bit of a hurry that evening, I was poised to continue with the remainder of the study when the Holy Spirit gave me a subtle nudge. The next thing I knew I had a dictionary in hand and was looking up the word sanctification.
I don’t remember what dictionary I used and, curiously, I have been unable to find either the dictionary or this definition since (Note: I used an actual book dictionary, not an online dictionary). What was listed, however, was quite different from what I had expected. I thought my own version would be echoed in pretty much the same words. The definition I read was very different, however. It said “The proper state of functioning or intended use”. It also mentioned that a pen was sanctified when one wrote with it, and a piece of paper was sanctified when you wrote on it.
The whole “proper state of functioning” thing was a bit too obscure for me at first, but I did understand the concept about using a pen or writing on paper. After pondering this for a few minutes, I realized how profound the definition was. I surmised there must be an important spiritual message. The key was to turn the definition around on myself and ask it as a question – “What is MY proper state of functioning? What is MY intended use?”
I realized I had stumbled on the age-old question of “What is the meaning of life?” Philosophers have struggled with this quintessential question for centuries. In God’s perfect timing, I had just finished reading Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life” and had a ready answer. My intended use was to serve God. I was made by Him, for Him, and intended for use by Him. He knows every detail about me because He designed every aspect of my being, but as a complete person, my proper state of functioning is to be in service to Him.
Our world today emphasizes self over just about anything else. “Look out for number one”, “I did it my way”, “A self-made man”, “If you can think it, you can do it” and many more slogans point to the individual as the end-all. These bromides can be encouraging, but distract us from our most important focus. God is the end-all, the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. He is the One whom we should want to be with for all eternity. While we are here on Earth, we should make worshiping Him our number one priority.
There’s nothing wrong with being a strong, self-reliant person as long as our heart belongs to God. The Bible is full of confident yet humble men who served the LORD well. David and Moses provide good examples of upright and resilient servants. They were supremely successful in their worldly endeavors, but both of them kept a close eye on how their every action would be to the glory of God.
Today is a great day to examine your own life and consider whether you are achieving your proper state of functioning. Are you doing the work God has called you to do? Ask Him in prayer today how you can improve your efforts for Him. Ask Him what the proper, intended, and normal use is for you.
In His love and service,
Jeff Myers
A servant of Jesus Christ
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