Continuing a series presenting our beliefs in plain English. This time it is looking at being a useful person.
When I hear or think about the word ‘use’ I always think this word is the bloodstream of the New Church. Whatever else we say, we certainly emphasise the place of us being useful and of things being there for their use in creation.
One sentence in our teachings sums it up – The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of use.
Now, be careful not to link that with ‘always being busy’. Very busy people get a lot done but they may well die young. They sometimes slide into needing to control other people and they can be quite annoying. Being useful doesn’t have to be that.
I’d happily liken being useful to being outgoing. It is about being interested in other people, giving time, helping things get done and taking part. You can be very useful in just being sincere and genuine in who you are, without a packed diary full of jobs. People will look at you in your situation and greatly appreciate you being consistent. They find that – useful.
We can also see the place of usefulness looking around us at nature. Everything has a use – clouds, rain, soil, worms, bushfires, in the whole balance and ecology of creation. Take one away and the others are at risk.
One area of use that I appreciate is inventiveness – the way someone sees a need and provides for it. I now couldn’t live without Blu-Tack or Glue Sticks.
You might say that all this is fairly common-sense. What of God? Well, I see us being useful as being a great conduit for God to flow into us and out the other side, to make it better for everybody. What more justification does anyone need than to help that happen?
