I am seriously re-evaluating and reconsidering this request for God to use me! Now, before you revoke my Christian Country Club license, just hear me out. I am exaggerating the point so that I can engage your thinking, I admit…#shockvalue! Nonetheless, this is a thought that I have been unable to shake and I wonder if this perspective that I am offering perhaps honors God more.
My discomfort with the word happened as I listened to religious rhetoric on youtube and how people with a seeming cry of desperation and humility, perhaps brokenness say,
“I just want to be used by the Lord…I just want the Lord to use me.”
First, there is a need to evaluate the desire because if it is born out of a need for significance in your life, then one should probably revisit the request. Sometimes, people feel a need to have a sense of personal efficacy and believe that they are “doing something for the Lord and in essence are owed something in return”–could this be a hidden meaning to its use in the church? We don’t make ourselves available to God with the primary intention that he would make our lives better and make our lives worthwhile; we avail ourselves and give our lives away in love because it demonstrates His worth, that He is the FIND of all ages and for ETERNITY, the treasure…because it glorifies, highlights and causes Him to be perceived as Significant, Meaningful, and Brilliant.
Undeniably, in the process of God being God, all of His creation and whatever matters to Him gets glorified in the process. Easily, I see this as the motivation for Jesus’ emboldened petition, Father Glorify Me together with yourself…John 17:5.
When Jesus says Together with yourself..Herein lies the tip of the arrowhead for this blog. I don’t find that this is the language of intimacy when we say “Use Me.” I cannot recall examples of healthy, functional, loving intimate relationships wherein one lover sits across from the other at a candlelight romantic dinner with glass of champagne…and as she stares longingly into his eyes and he returns the stare with a brush of her cheek with his hand whispering ever so gently to his loving wife, “Honey, I’m so madly in love with you. I just want you to use me.” XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX END SCENE! That’s an epic fail.
Actually, makes me think of chains, whips, leather etc (TMI, I KNOW). My point is that this is not the greatest exemplar of the language of relational love and intimacy, but rather (in our culture) are the words of objectification.
I believe when we say ( God use me) what we are really saying is God thy will be done not mine. God don’t use me is like saying whatever You want to do with me isn’t enough or not what I want! God is love , so He is the beginning and ending of intimacy and love in any relationship!
I think that what’s people think they are saying as well.
@ Juanita: saying God don’t use me is a TITLE I only used to catch people’s eye. I’m not advocating that people not use that expression, although I am advocating that people have knowledge and understanding when they do use it. We use the expression rather mindlessly and negligently till it almost loses its power. It’s something that seemingly religious people say and they look like they are so devoted when in fact, they give God a horrible reputation because people are confused as to whether THE HUMAN did it or if GOD was using them…
In essence the point is God doesn’t just USE us, he inclUDES us in His divine plan and strategy…and lazy Christians sometimes want an easy out by saying God you just do whatever you want and I’ll lay here lifeless while you do it. The point is to be more precise in our language…it’s not God use me, it’s God use what’s in me to accomplish your desires. Can I say Juanita uses people? When I say that immediately you want to defend yourself,but somehow we think that language is completely appropriate for God.
this is good… i don’t have the revelation yet… but I def won’t knock it. I will say this… It is always good to question religious rhetoric… especially rhetoric that comes out of a culture that has had a history of illiteracy… (lol… hence all of our made up scriptures). My motto is ‘question everything, but rebel against nothing’… can’t wait for part two…
Dr. Hill! Thank you for gracing the page with your brilliance! You are a great guy. Anyhow, i have a great deal of regard for you holding the article at a distance and I’m totally in favor of that. I want the feedback and of course I know that I have exaggerated the challenge and the concept. So I’m not advocating that we discard the expression, but I am calling for a deeper analysis at how functional the expression really is. In short, the idea is that Telling the Lord to “use me” lacks the depth of what God really wants to accomplish in each of our lives. He doesn’t only want to use WHAT is INSIDE OF US, he wants us to be apart of His purpose and agenda in a signature way. Not just excuse the expression from the Color Purple, lay down so he can do his bidness on us!- Part 2 has already been written and posted. Just go to the blog section and follow down!
Perhaps the disconnect is that some don’t truly understand what they’re saying when they make the statement. Society and culture has so twisted the meaning of things….especially the things of God that if you’re not a student of the Word and one who has an intimate relationship with God you will surely be mislead. After all media is one of the 7 mountains. The word use has several meanings however the ones that stood out to me are as follows; to put into action or service,to avail oneself, to consume or take, to carry out a purpose or action, to expend or consume by putting to use. My first service to God and to others is to love. So when I communicate to God to use me first of all I’m saying,”God because you first loved me allow me to love as you love.” The next definition is to avail myself, so what I’m saying there is God I give you all of me, I surrender and submit to you with no hidden agendas and no expectation of compensation. I only want your love and what you want! I give you access to every part of me. The good, bad and the ugly. Consume me…….YOU ALONE ARE THE LORD OF MY LIFE so allow the purpose of my life to manifest so that you and you alone get the glory! To say use me Lord to me speaks of the denial of self…….to cry out God I decrease that You may increase! The example you gave reminds me of eros love within a marriage…..not necessarily how I would look at the term use in that context, but it’s interesting! I think sometimes phrases can become so cliche that somehow we lose the true meaning.
Great perspective Melissa. As you have stated, and I concur the phrase is useful in conveying somethings, but it also lacks the complete and true expression of some other things…we use it as a cliche, without a full awareness of what we may or may not be saying to God. Again, I don’t forbid use of the term, but I am advocating for a more informed word: avail, lay down my life, etc. Whether eros or Agape demonstrated one to another, I think you would be hard pressed to find acceptance of that expression in anything other than church.
In reading God do not use me pt 2 , i got the whole essence and feeling of your expression. It isn’t a mindless and effortless action on your part,but a inclusive liberty To God to use your gifts and talents to receive Glory! You took a deep path in side of you to express the will of God as an invitation to ( send you) where God wants you to go. In saying I use people in certain instances would be completely right ,because that is what I have to do, but only if they allow me to. Now on the other hand God is a gentleman and He gives us a choice, even though He has all power to do whatever He wills. I am thrilled to communicate with you in blog form.You go real deep in thought about sincere topics!!!
Tremendous! It’s a groovy concept if you don’t get choked by the bones! LOL