We often measure our value by our usefulness. What can I accomplish? What can I contribute? How badly am I needed? That can happen at work, in our families, in recovery, even in church. Without realizing it, we start believing that being useful is the same thing as being faithful. But are they always the same? Most of us want to feel valuable. We want to know our work matters, and that somebody important notices. Is it possible to accomplish something important while completely misunderstanding the person you claim to serve? Can you do something in Jesus’ name and still completely misunderstand Jesus? That’s where 2 Samuel 4 takes us. Two men travel all night, convinced they have solved what they believe is David’s greatest problem, & proving their usefulness to his kingdom. Apparently, it never occurs to them David might see what they’ve done very differently. The question in this story is, did these men understand what the King wanted?” Maybe more uncomfortably, what do we believe our King wants from us?
