Under construction or available to use?

Over the years I have often used the illustration of a potter making a pot to describe God's work in our lives, but this morning, as I thought about it, I suddenly realized I have been thinking about it wrong. We are not people under construction. In fact that very illustration has often given me an excuse for my bad behavior. We are people fully constructed and now must choose if we will be available for God to use us or not. Here are Paul's words and then a couple of observations,

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2 Timothy 2:20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

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It suddenly struck me that construction was completed when I trusted Christ as my savior. The rest of my life is growing into who God has made me and being available for him to use me...a vessel for noble purposes. All these years I have envisioned my life as one "under construction." In fact, that's what I was taught by others. With that picture in mind it's easy to make the excuse to do nothing because I'm not ready, or God's still working on me, or it's not time yet....all excuses built on the idea that being under construction gave me permission to do nothing at all. Often that was my response....because I'm not ready yet, God's not finished with making me.

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But, in reading 2 Corinthians and Timothy these last few days I suddenly realized that construction was completed when I trusted him. Now life is simply a series of choices that demand an answer to this question, "Will I be available for him to use me or not?" If I'm already made to be what God made me, already indwelt by the Holy Spirit, already given gifts to use...and all of that is true...then my only question is this, Am I available or not? It's funny how simple this is when you sort through all the bad thinking. Or should I say, when I sort through all of my bad thinking.

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So, today, if you have trusted Christ as your savior the question is simply- As one of his finished masterpieces, a child of God fully equipped, complete and gifted to serve him, are you available for his use?

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