Purity and Usefulness

Perhaps your mom has some china teacups and saucers at home. They may be beautifully painted or have a gold rim. If they don't just sit on display all the time, she may actually use them to drink tea on special occasions. They are washed carefully by hand---not in the dishwasher. Oh, and you're never allowed to touch them.
In your house you also have another ceramic "bowl"--- yeah, that one. It is not pretty, but it is functional. Usually we keep it covered up or keep the door to its room closed because, while we all know what it's for, we don't talk about it. We aren't proud of it. We don't show it off when people come to our house (except I did when I had just installed a new one by myself). Oh, and you don't wash this one by hand; you use a long-handled brush so you can stand as far away as possible.
What makes the difference between these two ceramic containers? The big difference that affects their use is their purity. Our useableness as Christians also depends on our purity. 2 Timothy 2:20-22 says, "But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
Paul describes a situation we can identify with: there are many utensils and tools in the house. If we have a dishonorable or disgusting job to do, we use a dirty tool. We don't use the nice silverware to clean up after the dog; we use the dirty old shovel in the garage. Likewise, we don't put a garden trowel on the table to eat with!
If we want to put ourselves in a place where God can use us, we must be pure. We must "purge" or cleanse ourselves from impurity in our lives. We must be "sanctified" or holy, fleeing and avoiding youthful lusts. Instead, we should pursue right living, faithfulness, godly love, and peaceableness, all characteristics that demonstrate the Holy Spirit's control in our lives (Gal 5:22-23). This is the way to be a person that God can use, because usefulness depends on purity.