DON’T MAKE YOURSELF EXPENDABLE

Even though you may not clearly know the function of a thing, in creation, you can be certain that nothing exists just because. There is an intelligent rationale and purpose for everything that is. We come down to the question of purpose often because of its central place in the life of men.

We read today about the story of a fig tree that had been unfruitful over a period of time. Our verse of key interest is Luke 13:7

"So he said to the gardener, "For three years I have come looking for figs on this tree, and I haven't found any yet. Chop it down! Why should it take up space?"

This was the nicest rendition of this text with alternative versions being a bit more blunt:
‘Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’(MSG)
“Cut it down. It’s just taking up space in the garden(NLT)
’Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground [depleting the soil and blocking the sunlight]?’(AMP)

The fig tree in question was not fulfilling it’s purpose of bearing fig fruits, hence the instructions that were received : ‘cut it down’. Here is the harsh reality “whatever does not serve its purpose uniquely, according to its design, becomes expendable. That is true both for men and for things. You really cannot make yourself expendable – seek and find the purpose for which you are here because rest assured, you are not here just to occupy space.

#sly