Useless

useless |ˈyo͞osləs| adjectivenot fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome: a piece of useless knowledge | we tried to pacify him, but it was useless.• informal having no ability or skill in a specified activity or area: he was useless at football.
For the past couple of days I have been replaying a scene from on ofe the Disney Toy Story movies in my mind. In the scene the cowboy doll, Woody, gets a stitch pulled from his arm which tears and leaves his arm barely dangling. He is damaged. Eventually Woody is forgotten and neglected. Soon afterwards he gets put on a shelf in a closet and then in a box to be sold in a garage sale. 
He is no longer wanted. No longer useful. He is discarded. His owner Andy didn't want to play with a damaged toy. No longer wanted or useful Woody is forgotten and put out for sale in a garage sale with other useless items. 
What I have been thinking about is all the people in the world who feel like they are useless. They are damaged. They feel unwanted. Unworthy to be loved. Discarded and ignored. Rejected and useless they wander through life aimlessly. Some feel this way because of sin. Horrific sin that came easy enough but the price and consequences afterward came with a heavy price tag.  Some have suffered epic failures. More than just the pain of the failure is the psychological damage afterwards. Such people feel damaged and useless. They don't want to risk anymore or try harder for fear of failing all over again. It is easier to go through life half hearted. 
There are lots of people addicted to sin. Sex, drugs, alcohol, shopping, and more. Well meaning pew siting people. They sin. They repent in sorrow vowing they will never return. Then they fall right back into the same pit of destruction. Such people feel useless. They fail repeatedly and with each failure comes a little  more condemnation and a lot more thoughts of uselessness. 
Women give themselves away sexually to a silver tongued devil disguised in blue jeans and a charming personality. In one moment of passion they gave away their purity which is lost forever. To make matters worse the  guy got what he wanted and  then put her out on the curb like the trash. She feels shattered and betrayed. She feels useless to God and to a future husband. Vulnerable she is easy prey for the next smooth talker. Desperate to be loved she gives herself away again only to find in the end she feels cheap, used, and damaged. 
Then there are the dreamers. Attempting great exploits for God. Fearless, courageous, adventurous, and resolved. That is until the dream crumbled. Standing in the midst of shattered dreams can leave people feeling useless and without purpose. 
I think of the number of injured athletes I have seen and known. At one time the crowds cheered for them. After getting injured nobody remembers. Coaches no longer have use for them. Such athletes feel useless in a prison of what might have been if they had not been injured. 
Then there are the people who try their hardest. They work hard at their grades but they will receive recognition no matter how hard they study. They are not gifted. They will barely walk across a stage to receive a diploma. Likewise, there are people who work hard on their jobs. They are never going to move into management. They will never be targeted for the fast track to the top of their profession. They feel pretty useless. 
Let me set the record straight. God has a plan and chooses to use people who feel useless. Noah got drunk. Abraham lied. Moses lost his temper. Rahab  earned money as a prostitute. Elijah suffered bouts of depression. David committed adultery and plotted to have a man murdered. Solomon sinned in marrying hundreds of wives and worshipping idols. Jonah rebelled against a direct command from God and also was prejudiced. Peter denied knowing Jesus. Paul persecuted Christians. None of them were useless to God. 
I don't know your story. I don't know the nature of your failure and all the reasons you may feel useless. I just know this. Jesus is a gracious redeemer. He forgives. He restores. He loves. He renews. And He finds ways and places to use broken people who feel used up, worthless, shame, defeated, without hope or purpose. Jesus uses people who feel useless. 
Yes, it is true. There are consequences for sin. Painful consequences. Some last for a few moments. Some others last for the rest of our lives. Yet, God does not discard His children when they fail. His love is broad and His grace and mercy wide to embrace people who feel useless for many reasons. He still has a plan. He still has a purpose for your life. Let that sink in. He still has a purpose for your life. You are not useless. 
You may have failed but that does not mean you are a failure if you get back up. You may have sinned but that does not mean you can't be forgiven and delivered if you repent and turn from sinful ways. You may have suffered a great injury severely limiting you physically. That does not mean God is done with you if you make yourself available to Him. You may feel emotionally crippled from abuse and wrongs done to you. You don't have to live as a victim as you find victory in Jesus. 
You are not useless. You are USEFUL. A trophy of God's grace. Proof of His redemptive work put on display for the watching world to see. You are not useless. You are useful in the hands of Rdeeming God. Believe that.