Make Yourself USEFUL!

“Make yourself useful…”

As a saying it doesn‘t inspire a lot of good vibes, followed as it often is by a suggestion of something we’d rather not do. But as a way of living, it‘s surely the best way to go.

It’s also the reason I’m struggling with blogging at the moment. Yesterday the cutest mocha-colored golden retriever puppy came into our lives. My husband did the night-time watch, but when he heard me up and about in the early morning hours he gleefully handed the fur-covered bundle of boundless energy over to me while he caught a couple of hours of shut-eye. I’ve been on puppy patrol, with all that entails, and writing simply has had to take a back seat to chasing that curly puppy dog tail all around the room. And now, though my body is screaming for a second cup of coffee, I thought it best to stay put and post while the sleeping beauty is leaning against my feet.

Many people made themselves useful in planning and preparing for The Challenge, as well as after the event officially began. Useful posts on the host page worked to get our personal blogs in shape and our minds in gear for the wear and tear of the weeks to come. Useful people on the co-host team helped those who were struggling in the early stages get on board and then encouraged us all every step of the way, despite the pull of their own demanding posts and lives. And useful comments from new-found blogger friends gave us new ideas, a lot of laughs and inspiration in so many forms.

In fact, the subject is written into the guidelines themselves as we‘ve been repeatedly urged to visit other sites and encourage their creators by following, reading, and commenting on their posts. I like that, because it’s likewise written in our guidelines for living found in the Bible. Page after page tells us to shift our focus from ourselves onto others, to seek to be a blessing in whatever ways we can find, and to live with that purpose constantly in mind. Not only does it make life better for those around us, but our own lives are improved immeasurably, as well. It turns out to be a win-win situation for all involved.

Sometimes it just doesn’t come easily to us however. We have to truly make ourselves be useful at times, especially when an opportunity to help someone else interferes with our own schedules and plans. It helps in those moments to remember that Jesus had no reason for living other than to make Himself useful to us, for our salvation, even to the point of death. And now the daily dying to our own self interests gradually changes the state of our hearts from selfishness to servanthood, and countless others are blessed as a result of that transformation. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a newly-awake puppy that wants to play…

“So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing…”
(Galatians 6:10 AMP, emphasis mine)