Useful or Useless
This is quite the contrast. I have felt very useful in multiple situations. There have also been times I didn’t feel useful. My grandmother used to tell me to “make myself useful” when I was a kid growing up. There is a work ethic that I was taught back then that seems to be missing today. Some people will only do what is asked of them and nothing more, while others will continuously look for things to do that contribute to the work environment or to the lives of others.
I came across a short chapter in the book of Ezekiel this morning and I was reminded about usefulness and uselessness. The prophet gives a word from the Lord on this topic. Check this out….
1Then this message came to me from the Lord: 2 “Son of man, how does a grapevine compare to a tree? Is a vine’s wood as useful as the wood of a tree? 3 Can its wood be used for making things, like pegs to hang up pots and pans? 4 No, it can only be used for fuel, and even as fuel, it burns too quickly. 5 Vines are useless both before and after being put into the fire!
6 “And this is what the Sovereign Lord says: The people of Jerusalem are like grapevines growing among the trees of the forest. Since they are useless, I have thrown them on the fire to be burned. (Ezekiel 15:1-6 NLT)
We use wood for lots of applications from furniture to tools and toys. My son Matthew has discovered the art of woodworking and he loves making things from wood. The key to a beautiful piece of furniture or most anything wood is the raw material. He’s working on a table for me that he searched for the special wood to make it from. The wood he uses comes from different types of trees. He would never use a vine to make furniture. Vines are only good while they are producing fruit. When that season is over, they are pretty much useless. (I have seen old vine woven into a wreath, but it’s simply dead wood and the décor of the wreath is what makes it nice.) A good tree on the other hand can live on long after it’s fruit bearing is complete, or its life is over.
I’m using wood throughout my home that comes from trees that once lived here on earth. I have tables, chairs, cabinets and floors to name a few. The pieces vary in color and texture depending on the tree they were before.
I want my life to be like a piece of beautiful wood. I hope there are things that I’ve said or done that can live on long after I’m gone from this life to eternal life. I realize that the choices I make today will or will not make that possible. I want my life to be solid and beautiful like an oak tree or a piece of furniture made from an old oak tree.
Pressing On!
Dwayne