Focus: Now Useful!

Text: Philm.1:11

"Which in TIME PAST was to thee unprofitable, BUT NOW profitable to thee and to me."

When Christ enters a life change is bound to be visible. The change begins from within and then becomes evidently visible without. Encounter with Christ always brings about a radical transformation of one's belief and behavior, creed and conduct, attitude and lifestyle. He begins to exhibit good manners and do good works.

Paul is telling Philemon about Onesimus. He says in essence, 'Change has happened to your servant Onesimus upon meeting Christ. His life is forever altered. Your runaway slave is now a beloved brother in Christ. The Christ that happened to you has equally happened to him. He used to be useless, but now he's useful. His identity and destiny are radically altered. He is now a new species in Christ Jesus, such that never existed before.'

Christ always changes the human story. Every life He touches He transforms. The heart that welcomes Christ receives the life and peace of God, and becomes Christ's change agent in his neighborhood.

A person changed by Christ turns out to be useful to God, others, and himself. Paul says, 'Onesimus is now useful to you and I.' Christ becomes the new and only center of our lives.

Onesimus once lived against what his name represented. His name means profitable, but he lived an unproductive and unprofitable life until Jesus Christ met him in prison through Paul, and changed his life.

Now he is a sweet soul and awesomely useful to humanity and society. His life now has a marked difference between then and now.

The Lord Jesus gives our life a new beginning and a new meaning. He makes life worth living and humanity worth loving. He changes our perception and perspective. We are now useful to Christ and usable in His hands. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter