Most of us feel inadequate at times, whether in parenting, serving God, or even just having the discipline to eat healthy and exercise, we all feel the reality of falling short of our own expectations. And I don't know about you, but during these times, and they sometimes come several times in the same day for me, it's easy to listen to that voice inside your head that tells you that you're useless; and if you listen to that voice long enough, you begin to believe it, which in turn robs you of your joy for life and your ability to see your usefulness to God. Feeling useless is a dangerous place to be. But what should we do during these times?
Pastor John Piper has offered some wise advise, drawing from 1 Corinthians 12:14-20, about how we should respond to feelings of uselessness. Below is his first remedy for feelings of useless, but please check out the all of his helpful counsel from his sermonBody Pains: Feelings of Uselessness
Remedy 1: The Invalidity of the Conviction of Uselessness
The first truth is that the conviction of uselessness is not the truth.
This is what (it) says in verses 15 and 16. "If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I am not a part of the body,' it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body." Paul boldly and forthrightly denies the conclusion. You may make the comparison between yourself and another and conclude that you are useless, but your conclusion is wrong.
The same in verse 16: "If the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I am not a part of the body,' it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body." You may think it and you may feel it, but it is not true. Arguing yourself into a sense of uselessness in the body of Christ is invalid arguing. The conclusion does not stand. If you are a part of the body of Christ, you are not useless, but rather are meant to give a unique manifestation of the Spirit of God.
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