Being used by God

“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15.8
 
A question we often ponder is why would God use us?  No doubt he has big plans and dreams and as we look back through history he has raised up great people to bring them about.  Could we ever be included in what he wants to do?
 
By asking such questions, one of the problems is that we are putting the emphasis on ourselves; looking at our own lives and situations.  In this verse from John 15, Jesus puts it quite another way - in the context of the glory of God.  We are tempted to see God’s ability to use us almost as a result of our good behaviour, whereas he sees it in the context of his glory.
 
Today God wants to use you to bring glory to him.  This is not a matter of you being good enough for this to happen, but rather of you being open.  A simple prayer before you do anything is, “Father, use me.”  It might be before you go to see someone or even as you leave your front door.  What God does with you might not seem very dramatic to you, but even a simple act of kindness to someone else brings glory to him.