Do you desire to be used by God to effect change in your generation? Do you want to be an instrument in the hands of God to make a difference in the lives of people? I am absolutely convinced that any man who is willing to pay the price may be used of God regardless of talents and gifts, not perhaps to the extent of some, but certainly to the full limit of his capacity, and if not the fault is his. Now, it may cost a good deal. God does not always reveal the whole price at once. But when we reach the place, where we are so desperately in earnest about it that we are willing to make any sacrifice, then it is that God can begin to use us. Below are some qualities you must develop in order to be used by God:
The man God uses is the man who has but one great purpose in life
A divided heart can never bring complete satisfaction. The man of mingled interests will seldom make a success of anything. If he would succeed in business he must give the major portion of his time and the best of his thought to his business. The very same is true of the man who would be used of God, only to a far greater degree. The work alone must claim his whole attention. He has no room for other things. Paul was a man of “one thing.” He exclaimed in Philippians 3:13, “this one thing one I do.” That was the secret of his success. He had a great surging passion to make known the Gospel, and he gave himself day and night to his work. And in writing to Timothy he commanded to “be diligent in these things; give thyself wholly to them.” The trouble is that men are interested in too many things today to be used of God.
I am not urging that you have no other interests in life. There are duties to which you are bound to give your attention. What I do insist upon is that you make them as few as possible, and above all that you consider them as secondary, thus putting God and His work first and looking upon it as your one great purpose in life.
The man God uses is the man who by God’s grace has removed every hindrance from his life.
Now then, you don’t need to tell me what it is that hinders God from using you. God knows and you know. You must get right with Him. It may be only a weight or it may be a definite sin, possibly your besetting sin. Perhaps it is impurity in thought, word or deed. Possibly it is pride, jealousy, malice, covetousness, unbelief, or self in one form or another. It may be tobacco. But whatever it is it must be removed before God can use you. Remember, it was Achan who caused Israel to fail. Is there an Achan in your heart, a shelf behind the door, a sin that no one sees but God? People think you are what you appear to be; but do they really know you as you are? Dare you withdraw the veil and let them see all? (Isa. 59:1-2).
The man God uses is the man who has placed himself absolutely at God’s disposal.
Some of us act as though we were afraid of God, afraid to let Him have full sway. God says, “If any man willeth to do His will.” What could the potter do if the clay refused to yield? What could the doctor do if the patient refused to trust? Of what value are insubordinate soldiers? Well, then, are you yielded? Have you said an eternal “Yes” to God and an eternal “No” to self? Are you dedicated? Have you surrendered all? Has your will been set aside, and have you accepted His for your life? Will you go where He wants you to go, and be what He wants you to be?
The man God uses is the man who has learned how to prevail in prayer.
The men who have been greatly used of God have all been mighty in prayer. As you read their biographies you discover that the spirit of prayer predominates. Jacob exclaims: “I will not let Thee go except Thou bless me,” and hears God say: “Thou hast striven with God and with men and hast prevailed.” Jesus in the midst of the greatest activity and opportunity for service withdraws from the multitude and seeks a solitary place in which to pray, sometimes spending whole nights alone with His Father, praying with such anguish of spirit that His sweat turns to blood. And this is the story of every man who has been used of God. Are you willing to pay the price? You may be marvellously gifted and equipped for the service of God, but if you have not learned how to prevail in prayer you can never expect God’s blessing on your labours. Let me urge upon each one the necessity of withdrawing to the secret place to pray the prevailing prayer, the prayer that effects its object. We must pray through and get the answer.
The man God uses is the man who is a student of the Word.
God’s Word is your weapon. If you doubt its strength what power can you have in wielding it? It is your only source of information. When the Word of God becomes your meat and drink, your daily study and a very part of yourself, then, and not until then, will you be able to use it as He intends. Do you believe that the text you proclaim is the living inspired Word of God? And are you confident that it will never return void? God cannot use a man who doubts His Word.
The man God uses is the man who has a vital, living message for a lost world.
You are looking forward to the foreign field. Well, what are you going to tell them? Have you a message? Why are you going? If your mission is merely one of Social Service, Education, Political Reform, you had better leave it to the social service expert, the schoolteacher, the doctor and the reformer. There is only one message great enough to take us from our homes of comfort, carry us across the seas, and set us down in the midst of persecution, ridicule, sacrifice and loneliness, and that is the message that “Christ died for our sins,” the message that ” God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life,” the message of the Cross, Nothing less will suffice, “Go ye and preach the Gospel.”
The man God uses is the man who works in the Anointing of the Holy Spirit.
” Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on High.” They tarried. “Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witness unto me.” And the thought of witnessing without that power never entered their minds. Read the biographies of God’s men and you will discover that each one sought and obtained the Enduement of Power from on High. One sermon preached in the Anointing is worth a thousand in the energy of the flesh.
This, then, is the man God uses.
- He has but one purpose in life.
- Every hindrance has been removed.
- He places himself absolutely at God’s disposal.
- He has learned how to prevail in prayer.
- He is a student of the Word. He has a vital, living Message for a lost world. He expects results.
- And he works in the Anointing of the Holy Spirit.
Adapted from ‘The man God uses’ by Oswald J. Smith