“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master, and prepared to do any good work” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

I believe that most of us serving at Nashville Rescue Mission believe that God has called us to serve here. And I believe that many of us, from time to time, feel a bit overwhelmed and underprepared in view of the daunting needs that we see in humanity every day. How do we deal with our feelings and more importantly, these needs? We know from Ephesians and James that he saves us to the work, and when He calls us, He also prepares us. How can we stay ready, willing, and able to face any situation?

First, realize that God is able to fill us to overflowing. David speaks of his cup overflowing; so, how can we possess the overflowing cup, or vessel, that David refers to in Psalm 23:5a? “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”  In the Chaplain’s Corner two weeks ago entitled “Overflow,” We were reminded that when we are anointed as vessels for service, we share in the gift of the Holy Spirit; and the Holy Spirit is an endless, eternal flowing of God’s goodness and mercy. It is out of this overflow that we can not only enjoy the abundant life, but we can share it with others. Another word for cup is vessel. We pray to be vessels fit for God’s use so that we can serve from the overflow of our hearts.

Second, according to the passage above from 2 Timothy, we should participate in our own fitness by cleansing ourselves in order to be ready to be filled. Paul further explains that this refers to our cooperation with the Holy Spirit to rid ourselves of evil influences. The Bible tells us to flee from sin, to run from sin. We know that running is a good workout, so running from sin is a great way to get fit for service in a manner of speaking. Besides running from sin, Paul tells us to make every effort to purify ourselves. “With promises like this to pull us on, dear friends, let’s make a clean break with everything that defiles or distracts us, both within and without. Let’s make our entire lives fit and holy temples for the worship of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1 The Message). Again, to use running as a way to get fit, we not only run away from sin, but we chase after righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

And lastly, to be fit for special use, we must be available. There is a great story in 2 Kings 4. In the story, a widow sought help from the prophet Elisha to fend off creditors. All she had was a small jar of oil, vital for heating and cooking as well as symbolizing healing and holiness. Elisha told her to find some empty jars for more oil, and then he told her to start pouring from the small jar of oil into the empty jars. The oil flowed as long as she had available jars. When she ran out of jars, the oil stopped. How do we become fit for service? We simply make ourselves available. Every time I pray to God to show me an opportunity to serve, to do good work on His behalf, He comes through. Every time.

“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’” (Isaiah 6:8).

In Christ,

Judy