As I was reading my Bible the other night, this scripture stood out to me:
2 Timothy 2:20-22
Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. So if anyone purifies himself from anything dishonorable, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
It stood out to me for two reasons. The first reason is that I have been praying about what I need to do, what steps I need to take, to continue to become the person God has called me to be, and the second reason is that I believe a lot of people feel stuck where they are and aren’t sure about how to move forward, and it seems to me like these verses speak to both of these issues.
Becoming Who God Has Called Me To Be
When I write, I generally say “we” a lot, but I’m not going to do that right now. I’m going to speak on this more personally, because right now it is a personal issue to me, but I think this is a general truth that can be applied to your personal situation as well.
I believe God has put a specific calling on my life. I believe He’s done so for each of us. There’s a reason we all have gifts and talents and unique abilities and mindsets. There’s a reason 10 people can look at the same situation and interpret it 10 different ways. We are all unique, and God has unique purpose for us. With that in mind, I don’t want to miss out on what God has called me to. If He designed me specifically for something, gave me passions and desires and hopes and dreams that all fit into the place where I can be used by Him and where I can really come alive, that’s a place I want to reach!
However, I think there is also a general calling on each of our lives, and if we can’t do the general part, I don’t know if we’ll ever really get to the specific part.
The verse says that some will be for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Dishonorable there can actually be translated “ordinary,” so don’t think it’s saying that God wants to use you in a way that is bad for you. He’s a good God, not a bad one. But, the verse continues to say that the onus is actually on you and I for whether or not we can be used for honorable or ordinary use by the Master. In order to be used for the honorable, we have to separate ourselves from the dishonorable.
If I want to become the person God has called me to be, if I want to step into the place He really designed me for, it means stepping out of the place I designed for myself. It means stepping out of sin and selfishness and greed and all those things that so easily take over if we are left to our own devices.
God wants to use me. He wants to use you. But to really step into that sweet spot that He designed us for, it means we’re going to have to quit pursuing the things that filled our minds before we knew Him, and we’re going to have to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace – and we’re going to have to pursue those things in community with others who are also pursuing those things.
Getting Unstuck
There have been times in my life where I’ve felt really stuck. I’ve had a lot of conversations with others who have felt the same. And I’ve known some who just resign to the idea that the place they’re in is the place they’re meant to be – usually because they think it’s punishment for the way they’ve lived in the past.
I wonder if sometimes being stuck isn’t just a symptom of living in a way where we have designated ourselves for ordinary use, but feeling the call on the inside that we were meant for more. I wonder if it isn’t the subconscious (or maybe the spiritual) recognition that God has so much more for us, He has called us to do and be so much more, but we’re keeping Him out by putting distance between Him and us with the way we’re spending our time and energy and by the things we’re choosing to pursue.
Again, I think the above verses challenge us with the next step. It may be time to have an honest self-examination and see if there’s something we’re allowing to have a place in our lives that needs to go. It could be some sin we’re holding on to. It could be something that in and of itself is innocent, but that we’ve given too much priority. It could be knowing that God is saying, “Go there, do that,” but we’re too timid or unsure or afraid to step out in faith when we don’t see the end of the road yet. But the verses challenge us to separate ourselves from the dishonorable, purify ourselves, and then we are preparing for honorable use by the Master.
The Endeavor 