Many are called, but few are chosen. There are countless people, many crying out to be used by God. Yet, only a few are truly ready and usable. Why? Because the vessel must first be made whole.
Jesus said, “Clean the inside of the cup, and then the outside will also be clean” (Matthew 23:26). For those crying, “Use me, Lord!”, perhaps the first step isn’t being used but being cleansed. Maybe, just maybe, the real focus should be on fixing the vessel, on repairing the wineskin so it can hold the new wine without bursting. Only then can we truly become vessels fit for God’s use.
Come As You Are
When I was much younger, I earnestly desired to be used by God. Every conference or meeting I attended became another opportunity to cry out to Him: “Use me, Lord! I want to make You known. Use me as You will. Use me in any way, just use me.”
Now that I am older, I have come to understand that being used by God comes with a serious call to sanctification. I have realized the immense need to be truly fit for His use. While this isn’t something we can achieve on our own or in a matter of days, but rather a lifelong journey that continues until we meet our Savior, it still demands a sincere and steady partnership with the Holy Spirit. We must yield to His dealings, even when they are uncomfortable or painful.
Do I still want God to use me? Yes, now, more than ever before. But the more He uses me, the more I realize there is still work to be done within me. I have become acutely aware of my inadequacy apart from Him. This understanding continually brings me to a place of surrender, where I invite the Holy Spirit to search my heart.
Like the psalmist, I pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24).
Now, my focus is on becoming a fruitful tree, one that bears the fruits of the Spirit. As I align myself with His character and allow Him to transform me, it is only natural that I will be found fit for greater use in His kingdom.
“Aren’t We Supposed to Come as We Are?”
You might be wondering, “Aren’t we supposed to come just as we are?”
Yes, we are.
But we are not meant to remain as we came.
Yes, you may come broken, but the purpose of coming is to be made whole. Jesus Himself made it clear that He came for those who are sick, but not to keep them perpetually in their sickness, He came to heal them and make them whole.
That is why a place for sick people is called a hospital, it exists to provide treatment, healing, and restoration. But if someone refuses treatment after being in the hospital for a long time, they may eventually be released. In this case, however, you may not be asked to leave. Instead, you may find yourself no longer responding to “treatment.”
That is, your conscience may become so hardened that what once stirred you to repentance no longer does. Such a person, as Scripture describes, has been left to the vile desires of their heart and flesh. Romans 1:28 says: ” Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”
In Revelation 3:15–16, Jesus speaks to the church in Laodicea, saying: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
These passages are sobering reminders that while God welcomes us as we are, He calls us to transformation. To remain stagnant or resistant to His work in us is to risk losing the sensitivity of our hearts to His voice, ultimately making us unfit for His use.
We must not grow comfortable in lukewarm faith. Instead, we must respond to His healing and transforming power with humility and obedience.
