Living Usefully
What if the greatest measure of a man's life isn't what he accumulates—but how useful he becomes to others?
Our culture tells us to build influence, chase success, and protect our time. But Jesus presents a radically different model of authentic masculinity. He calls men to become servants—not in weakness, but in strength.
In this lesson from the Lion's Path series, we explore the Servant archetype and discover that the highest calling of a man is to give his life away in meaningful service.
Benjamin Franklin's Goal: "To Have Lived Usefully"
One of history's most fascinating men was Benjamin Franklin.
Scientist. Inventor. Diplomat. Athlete. Writer. Teacher.
Franklin possessed an endless curiosity about the world, but perhaps his greatest aspiration wasn't tied to any of those accomplishments.
According to his biographer Edmund S. Morgan, Franklin once said he hoped people would simply say this about him after he died:
"He had lived usefully."
What a remarkable legacy.
Franklin wasn't chasing fame. He wasn't asking to be remembered as brilliant or powerful. He wanted his talents, abilities, and opportunities to benefit other people.
That's a question every man should wrestle with:
Am I living usefully?
Jesus Didn't Come to Be Served
When we study the life of Christ, something becomes unmistakably clear.
Jesus consistently chose service.
- He healed the broken.
- He fed the hungry.
- He welcomed the forgotten.
- He washed the feet of His disciples.
- He ultimately gave His own life for the world.
The Christian faith isn't merely about personal salvation. While our relationship with Christ is deeply personal, it was never intended to remain private.
Following Jesus means becoming increasingly service-minded.
Our faith should overflow into the lives of others.
A Paddleboard, a Sunrise, and an Unexpected Lesson
Sometimes God teaches profound truths through ordinary moments.
While paddleboarding one rainy morning, the speaker watched dark storm clouds drift away as the sun began breaking over the horizon. Rain still fell in one direction while brilliant light illuminated another.
It was breathtaking.
In that moment, a passage from Henry David Thoreau's essay Walking came to mind. Thoreau described sunlight filling a pine forest like a magnificent hall before concluding with an unusual observation:
"...to whom the sun was servant."
That phrase lingered.
The sun serves.
Every morning it rises.
Every day it provides warmth, light, and the energy that sustains life on Earth.
It asks for nothing.
It simply gives.
If the Sun Serves... What Does That Say About God?
At first glance, calling the sun a servant seems strange.
It's massive.
Powerful.
Far beyond anything we can fully comprehend.
Yet it faithfully gives life every single day.
If we believe the Creator intentionally placed the sun where it is, then its service isn't accidental.
It reflects something about its Maker.
Throughout Scripture, God continually gives.
- He sustains creation.
- He provides daily needs.
- He protects.
- He nourishes.
- He forgives.
- He restores.
Jesus Himself became the ultimate example of self-giving love.
Far from diminishing His greatness, His willingness to serve revealed it.
Strength Isn't Found in Selfishness
Many men believe strength means independence.
- Don't need anyone.
- Don't help anyone.
- Take care of yourself.
The Gospel paints a different picture.
Real strength is found in self-giving love.
Serving others doesn't make a man smaller.
It makes him more like Christ.
Ironically, we discover our greatest purpose when we stop making life about ourselves.
Designed for Interdependence
God didn't create humanity to function in isolation.
Everything in creation points toward interdependence.
The Trinity itself is a perfect picture of self-giving relationship.
- Father
- Son
- Holy Spirit
Each continually giving to the others in perfect unity.
Nature reflects that same pattern.
Healthy communities reflect it.
Healthy families reflect it.
Healthy churches reflect it.
Healthy men reflect it.
When we serve others, we aren't fighting against our design—we're finally living according to it.
What Does It Mean to Live Usefully?
Living usefully isn't about being busy.
It isn't about earning applause.
It isn't about becoming indispensable.
It means asking a different question every morning:
"How can I use what God has given me to bless someone else today?"
Your gifts.
Your experiences.
Your skills.
Your failures.
Your wisdom.
None of them were given solely for your benefit.
They were entrusted to you so they could flow through you.
That's the Servant archetype.
Final Thoughts
At the end of our lives, few people will remember our titles, possessions, or achievements.
But they'll remember how we made them feel.
Whether we loved them.
Whether we served them.
Whether we lived usefully.
Jesus showed us that greatness isn't found in being served.
It's found in serving.
Perhaps the greatest compliment any man could receive is the same one Benjamin Franklin hoped for centuries ago:
He lived usefully.
Reflection Questions
- How are you currently using your gifts to serve others?
- What talents or experiences has God entrusted to you that could benefit someone else?
- Who in your life needs your time, encouragement, or practical help this week?
- How did Jesus model servant leadership in ways you can imitate today?
- If your life ended today, would people honestly say that you "lived usefully"?
