If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. – 1 Corinthians 3:14, KJV

“Utility” is defined as the ability to satisfy human needs or wants. The more utility something has, the more valuable it is, and the more people are willing to pay for it.

Take automobiles, for example. The Corolla is one of Toyota’s compact car models. Depending on the features you purchase with the car, the average cost of a new Corolla is roughly $20,000 (in 2014). In contrast, the Sequoia is Toyota’s best-selling full-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV). Depending on the features you purchase with the SUV, the average cost of a new Sequoia is roughly $70,000 (in 2014). Why are people willing to pay approximately 3.5 times more for the Sequoia than the Corolla? It boils down to utility. What can you do with a Corolla? You can put 4-5 small people comfortably into the car and save a good bit of money on gasoline. That’s about it. What can you do with a Sequoia? Comfortably seat 7-8 people, carry a lot of luggage, tow your boat, and push your neighbor’s Corolla up the mountain when it stalls. (The downside, of course, is low gas mileage.) In short, the Sequoia has more ability than the Corolla to satisfy human needs and wants, and that’s why people are willing to pay so much more for an SUV than for a compact car – hence the term sport “utility” vehicle.

Now, imagine that you are a car. God is looking to purchase you, and He is trying to decide how much to pay for you based on your utility – your ability to satisfy His needs and wants. As He considers your utility, how much would He be willing to pay for you? Are you in the Corolla price range? Or, are you in the Sequoia price range? Thankfully, Christ was willing to purchase us at Calvary not based on our utility, but based on His boundless love for us. The Bible is clear, however, that there will come a day of judgment when God will reward His children based on our utility for Him, and you and I should wonder often how much reward we’ll receive in return for the utility we provide Christ today. Do we love the Lord with all of our hearts, souls, and minds? Do we love our neighbors as ourselves? Do we look out for the fatherless and widows? Do we help those in need? Or, do we spend our time on own pursuits, giving the things of God a courtesy nod a time or two each week?

On a regular basis, analyze your utility for Christ. Increase it in areas where you are deficient. Doing so will no doubt please your Lord, and it will make you much, much happier on the day of judgment.