A useful engine

Are you familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine? It is high praise for the mayor of the town to refer to one of the engines as a "useful engine." It is what all the engines aspire to.

I was reading Oswald Chamber's "My Utmost for His Highest" this morning and as usual I was reading the wrong date in the daily devotional. I think it was May 18th or 19th that is talking about being used by God.

How do we best do God's work? The same way that creation best does God's work. It just is. The stars, the ocean, the sun, the moon, the delicate flower... they just are. And God is glorified.

In the same way, we just are. What we are pales in comparison to what we do or what we say. Much of what we do for God is done in our own strength for our own reasons. That doesn't glorify Him. It is only when we are in a right relationship with him that what we do and what we say has any eternal significance. In fact, when we are in a right relationship with God, EVERYTHING we do - even just being - is a testimony to God. We are doing his work every moment. Just as we ponder the stars in awe on a clear night, people will ponder us in awe when we are in a right relationship with Him. Hopefully the stargazer and the Barry-gazer will be pointed in the same direction - to their maker.

I heard on pastor express a similar concept: "It is your job to develop your message... and it is God's job to develop your ministry." Our message is developed by obedience - even when obedience does not make sense.

We can only be a truly useful engine in God's kingdom when we are totally submitted to Him.