Someone please “stand up” for me.

Philemon 1:  ⁸ Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹ yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— ¹⁰ that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. ¹¹ Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

============

Tempers flared as we were about to go toe to toe over a business issue we were trying to resolve.  My department thought of one solution and another department had the opposite. The other department had more clout and began to pull back their support for our other projects.

Our department was quickly becoming useless so I had to weigh being “dead right” or going with their solution. Fortunately I knew high ranking officers and got them to step in and speak on our behalf. We not only got support for our existing projects, we also established a compromise to the dilemma that started the battle.

• There are times when I will be “useless” to others because of something I have said or done.
• There are times when I will be “useless” to others due to a mistake I have made.
• There are times when I will be “useless” to others from lack of understanding or blindness on my part.

Many times in my life I have let sin get the best of me and then I have become “useless” to a person or a group of people. Whether it was a lie or fulfillment of lust or treating someone poorly, I have at one time or another, become useless.

During these “useless” situations, I need a change of heart and then an arbitrator, one who will speak on my behalf. Fortunately for me JESUS is my arbitrator to GOD.

• When I sinned as was sentenced to Hell, JESUS spoke for me.
• When I didn’t care about GOD, JESUS sent the HOLY SPIRIT to me.
• When I continue to sin, the HOLY SPIRIT speaks to the FATHER on my behalf, begging and pleading for me.

Sometimes I take my relationship with JESUS a little too lightly. I mean HIS salvation does not give me a license to sin or live any way I want. I really do need for HIM to step in and plead on my behalf because my righteousness is “useless” to GOD. HIS perfection is far greater than anything I could do.

I am so glad I have JESUS and the HOLY SPIRIT speaking on my behalf. By believing, I now have become “useful” to the FATHER.

• Is your life pleasing to GOD?
• Have you made a mistake and require someone to step in?
• Can you let JESUS “step in” and transform your “useless” life into something “useful?”