When you lay awake at night, do you ever wonder why you’re here? What’s the point of all this, anyway? You’ve probably heard, “God has a purpose for you.” But how do you find that purpose? How can you become useful in God’s kingdom?

When I need a dining-room table, I go to someone who knows more about wood and making furniture than I do. When I need to make a significant upgrade in the way our website functions, I go to a programming specialist. And when I am looking for a place to refresh and regenerate, I go to someone who’s been there before.

No one person can provide everything I need all the time. At that moment, that person who is smarter than I am in that area becomes incredibly useful to me.

It’s the same in God’s kingdom. Each one of us has a role in helping others experience the Fully Alive kind of life God intends for them. You can uniquely help someone else get over a hang-up, grow in some way, or find transformation. You are one of those specialists God needs.

But how do you get there? How can you possibly come to the place where you be useful in that way?

Here are three keys to becoming useful in God’s kingdom.

1. Study Yourself

You have baggage – hurts, habits, and hang-ups. You’ve been wounded. You’ve wounded other people. You have a family history, a personal history, a personality, strengths and weaknesses. You’ve experienced success and failures (er, growth opportunities). You have passions, blind spots, things you’re proud of and things you’re ashamed of.

God knows all that already, so trying to hide any of your “stuff” won’t help there. And while others may not judge you rightly, most of the time they can see more of the “real you” than you think they can. The quicker you embrace who you are the quicker you’ll stop being part of the problem.

Throughout life God will regularly invite you to another round of growth. That growth usually involves embracing some area where you are not yet where you need to be, some mindset that is not healthy or mature, some aspect of your character the Holy Spirit desires to change. Embrace that.

And as you learn about yourself, learn what fills you up. What nourishes you? What drains you? Learn to take responsibility to find and take in the physical/emotional/mental/spiritual nourishment you need.

If you don’t study yourself, your hang-ups will almost always come back to haunt you. That’s a primary reason some Christian leaders become caught in greed, pride, or sexual misconduct.

Go there. Doing so all at once is too much, but take the next step. Deal with your stuff. Be relentless about learning, growing, maturing, inviting the Holy Spirit to keep transforming you.

2. Get Over Yourself

Yes, you need to study yourself and keep growing. But here’s the thing; It’s not all about you!

Working on yourself is for something more than yourself; it’s because God needs you for a reason. All the things He is doing in you are for the purpose of you becoming who you need to be so you can accomplish what He has given you to do.

Moses became leader of Israel while leading his father-in-law’s sheep. David became king while following the sheep and running from Saul. Peter became a fisher of men while hanging around Jesus and experiencing the restoration He offered after Peter denied Him.

God is using your troubles and traumas to form you into someone He needs. Are you letting Him do so? What you thought was your biggest hang-up is likely to become the defining characteristic of how God uses you in His kingdom.

So yes, get over yourself. It’s not all about you!  (Tweet that)

Dealing with your stuff is for the purpose of being able to get over yourself. Oh, the freedom and joy when you are no longer hiding!

3. Be Connected

Because it’s not all about you, you can’t do it all yourself. As John Maxwell says, “One is too small a number to make an impact.”

You will become like the five people you hang out with the most. Think of the people closest to you. Do you like what you see? Do you want your life to head in the same direction their lives are heading? Choose your closest friends wisely.

But do choose. Much of the epidemic of loneliness in our culture is self-imposed. It may take significant effort to connect; do it anyway. You may feel others should reach out first; risk reaching out anyway. The next person you try to connect with may not respond well; reach out to another person. Keep at it.

And remember that there is always someone in worse trouble than you. Someone needs something you have. If you want God to use you in any way, start by reaching out to the person in front of you who needs something you can give. Lifting your eyes from you own stuff and blessing someone else is what being a true follower of Jesus always results in.

Is there any part of you that would like to be useful in God’s kingdom?

Welcome how God is working on you to become who He needs you to be. Start practicing ministering to others right now.

Don’t quit. God needs you. We need you!

Your Turn: Is there any part of you that desires to be useful in God’s kingdom? What baggage is holding you back? Where can you start helping others right now? Leave a comment below.

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• Becoming useful in God’s kingdom is not mysterious. Study yourself. Then get over yourself! And stay connected.   Tweet that.

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