God Can Use You Where You Are

You don’t have to be a preacher or a teacher of the gospel before God can use you. You don’t have to be a person of prominence. In fact, you don’t need a platform of any kind. God can use you where you are if you let Him.

The second book of Kings gives us the account of a Syrian by the name of Naaman. He was a great man, honorable, and a mighty man in valor. But also he was a leper (2 Kings 5:1). Leprosy was a terrible and humiliating skin disease. Naaman’s greatness, honor and valor were no match for his leprosy.

Naaman went to see Elisha the prophet to heal him. But when he arrived at the prophet’s house, he sent a messenger to Naaman instructing him to go and wash in the waters of Jordan seven times and his flesh would come clean.

Naaman was furious. At first, he declared he would not do what the prophet had instructed him to do. He felt Elisha should have come out himself and heal him. But eventually, he obeyed the man of God, and he was healed.

The Little Maid

But guess who was the main player for Naaman’s healing? Who set off the chain of events that caused this miracle to happen for Naaman? Who caused him to make the journey from Syria to Samaria to seek Elisha the man of God?

It was a “little maid”; literally, a young girl (verse 2). She had been taken captive from the land of Israel. She was a servant in Naaman’s house. She knew the answer to Naaman’s problem. She said, “I wish that my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! Then he would cure him of his leprosy” (verse 3, NASB).

Those few words spoken by a little maid gave Naaman hope against hope. Because of her words of faith, Naaman went to see Elisha the prophet and became healed.

Three things I want to share about this young girl. One, though she had been displaced from her people, she wanted her Gentile master to be healed. She could have lived in bitterness because she had been taken from her homeland at such a young age.  Her desire for her master to be healed suggests spiritual maturity beyond her young age.

Two, though she was a little maid, she had faith in God that He could heal her master. Hers was a bold proclamation, considering how prominent Naaman was and how lowly she was. It would not be wise to give false hope to her master. But she believed God could heal Naaman, and she spoke accordingly.

Three, God used her where she was to make a world of difference in someone else’s life. God wants to use us the same way. Like the little maid, you may not be where you want to be in your life. But God can use you where you are.

The Time for God to Use You Is Now

Many Christians are seeking to know what their calling is. I understand what they mean by that and its importance. But know that if you are a Christian, God can use you where you currently are.

In fact, my experience has been that serving God where you are is one of the best ways to discover His ultimate purpose for your life. After I gave my life to Christ, I began attending our church’s weekly prayer meeting. Everybody else who attended was old enough to my mother or father.

I went on to serve on the Trustee Board. The older saints I served with in the church could see God had His hand upon my life, though I had not a clue.

Eventually, the deacons went to my pastor wanting me to serve there also. But by then, I knew God was calling me to preach. That was His ultimate purpose for my life. But before that, He used me where I was.

Think about what Naaman’s maid did. It was not anything superb. She simply stated what she believed about God. In a simple but powerful way, she illustrated how God can use us where we are. We should be diligent in looking for those divine moments in our life each day.

By the way, there is no such thing as being perfectly situated to be used of God. If you are a Christian, the time is now for God to use you. He is a part of your everyday life. Yes, the good, the bad, and the ugly. He is working in you to desire and to do His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). He specializes in using ordinary people in extraordinary ways.

Copyright © 2024 by Frank King. All rights reserved.