No one likes being used. Sometimes some people only come around you when they want something from you, be it a favor or to borrow money.
You know when you are being used when your conversation is one way and it is all about them. You know when you are being used when you are the one who is always picking up the check, especially when they invite you out to eat. You know when you are being used when you are the one that is always bailing them out of their troubles. You know when you are being used when they stop saying, “thank you”. They start feeling like you are supposed to do those things for them. You know when you are being used when they are always asking for favors. An occasional favor is one thing, but when someone is constantly asking for favors and isn’t willing to help you out at any time, when you need help, is a clear sign that they are a “user”.
We are users too! Who do we use? GOD! God hates to be used.
Some people only want to be with you because of what they can benefit from you. Some of us only seek God when we want something from Him. We think that He is the “gimme” (give me) God. You don’t have a prayer life until you want something.
Sometimes we only pray when we need a job or a better job. We pray when we are looking for a good man or a husband. We pray for our bills to get paid. We pray for a job promotion. We pray when we want God to be our “Hitman”. God may hit a man, but he is not our “hitman”. We even start our prayer with, “God, please “gimme” this and “gimme” that.
Yes, God told us to come unto him boldly. He told us to bring our desires to him. But I think that some of us got it wrong. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” Hebrews 4:16.
Some of us pray when we want God to fix something for us. We don’t know God until we get in trouble or one of our children get in trouble. When we have mismanaged our money and we need Jesus to fix our bank account. We need him to make our money grow in our account. We even have the nerve to ask him to fix a driving ticket or our credit score.
Of course, we need God at all times and we all have problems, but some of us never pray to God until we have a need.
God is not a God of convenience. Some of us never need God until it’s convenient for us. God is not a God that we can put on a shelf, then pick up again when there is a need. He should not be treated like a bottle opener. You never think about a bottle opener until you have a bottle to open and once used, it’s no good until you have another bottle to open. What a slap in His face!
We don’t seek God for the benefits that He can offer us. But God does want you to use Him. This is a different type of use. We hate being used. God never hates being used, but not for the sake of using Him. God wants us to use him. He begs us to seek him out and to worry him. He is screaming at us “to bring it on!”
God wants a relationship with us. A very intimate relationship with us. Jesus died on the cross for us and was resurrected, not only to redeem us, but to dwell among us. It’s not what is being done for God, but who is doing it that is important. Christ wants to be the One doing things with us and through us. He wants us to take the time daily, to receive Him and enjoy His Word. By prayer, we give Him the proper place in our lives, as our source, as He provides our resources. When we pay attention to Him, He pays attention to us.
So let’s stop being “users” and start being “useful” to God.