Of No Use

Francis Bourdillon, 1873

Two men were pulling a cart with a long, heavy piece of furniture on it—a sideboard, it looked like. In turning a corner, the sideboard slipped out of its place. The men stopped to set it right, but found themselves in a dilemma. The one who was pulling the truck in front was afraid to let it down; the one who was behind dared not take his hand off the sideboard. If either of them moved, it would most likely slip off altogether. They needed another hand.

"Oh, here comes Joe Skittles," cried one of the men; "he'll lend a hand."

"Joe Skittles, indeed!" said the other, in a tone of great contempt. "What's the good of him? He's of no use but to drink." So nothing was said to Joe Skittles. And indeed, he did look as if his help would not have been worth much. For he shuffled along the pavement with his hands in his pockets, pale and thin and miserable, looking as if he had not anything in the world to do, and could not have done it if he had. He went right past the truck without so much as turning his head that way; and when he got to the next ale-house, he shoved the door open with his shoulder, and disappeared.

Another man came by soon and gave the help that was needed, and the truck and its load went on again.

"Of no use!" "Of no use, but to drink!" What a character! What a life! Alas, such men are not uncommon. Do we not all know the look of such a man? Look at him. There he goes. He is just like Joe Skittles—hands in his pockets, head down, slouching along. By his look, he may once have been a shoemaker perhaps, or a carpenter; but it is hard to tell, for he looks as if it was long since he did a day's work of any sort. And so it is. He never works. He only lounges about and drinks. And all his thought is how to get more alcohol. It is alcohol that has brought him so low, and yet alcohol is the only thing he cares for. His wife is a hard-working woman, and goes out washing. She is the breadwinner, not he. But the poor children meanwhile are neglected, and the home, with no woman there, is a miserable home. Yet this is a man—a man, with a mind, with a soul—a man, made to live forever!

"Of no use!" There are others who are of no use, besides such as these. Joe Skittles had neither the will nor the power to be of use. He did not care to help a neighbor; he cared for nothing but alcohol. And if he would have wanted to help—I do not suppose he could have. With his strength all gone, wasted away by drink—what could he have done with that heavy sideboard?

But there are many who could be of use, if they would. They are not drinkers. They are just idlers. They live all for themselves. They never do anything to further God's cause or to help their fellow men. They do not seem to think they have any concern with that. They eat; they drink; they sleep; they do indeed work to earn their bread, if such is their station in life; but, apart from that, nobody is any the better for them. The world would go on just as well if they were not in it. They are "of no use."

Is this right? Is this what God intends for people? No. God calls everyone to be of use, and gives to all some means of being useful. For all that has been said, even poor worn-out Joe Skittles might yet have been of some little use, if he had had a heart for it. Everybody may be of use, and everybody is called to be of use, and everybody will have to give account to God hereafter—for what he has done with his time and his means of usefulness.

Are you of any use? Do you do any good? Is anyone the better for you? Or do you live only for yourself—a selfish and useless life? If so, does not conscience whisper sometimes, that God made you for something more than this?

Perhaps you lack—nay, I am almost sure you do, if such is your life. Perhaps you lack the great thing of all to make you useful—a changed heart, a knowledge of God's love in Jesus Christ. Perhaps, in short, you are a Christian in name only—with no faith, no love. Ah, you would not lead a useless and selfish life, if you loved Jesus. He died for you. And now He calls you to believe in Him and to love Him. Oh, what a helper He is to poor sinners! Will you not seek Him for your helper, your Savior? Will you not pray God to teach your heart by His Spirit to know and love Christ? Once learn that, and you will no longer be "of no use."