A Useful Vessel...

I read some fascinating Scripture the other morning:

 

"But in a great house there are

not only vessels of gold and silver,

but also (utensils) of wood and

earthenware,

and some for

honorable and noble use.

 

So whoever cleanses himself

from what is ignoble and unclean,

who separates himself from

contact with

contaminating and corrupting

influences

will then himself

be a vessel

set apart and useful

for honorable and noble

purposes,

consecrated

and

profitable

to the Master,

fit and ready for any

good work."

 

2 Tim. 2:20, 21

 

And so I pondered...

 

In 1 Cor. 12:31

we are told to

"earnestly desire and

zealously cultivate

the greatest and best gifts

and graces

(the higher gifts and choicest graces)..."

 

God has a purpose for us each to fulfill.

He has an excellent way of love

(1 Cor. 13, the love chapter that follows

the 'gifts' chapter) for each of us

to follow.

 

He provided the Way for each of us

to walk in brokenness and surrender

so that we can be useful vessels.

 

But there is a process to getting

to that place of consistent usefulness.

There is a training ground we all

must take to get to the responsibilities

of maturity.

 

It is ok to be in that training ground.

That is highly necessary.

But I am earnestly encouraging

each of us to do what 2 Tim. 2 says

in cleansing ourselves of hindrances

and in separating ourselves from

what would contaminate and corrupt us

and cause us to stay stunted and in

a consistently immature place.

 

 

 

I looked back over my life since I

have been in the King's training

program for service.

And I saw places where He called me

to separate.

Friendships that were potentially corrupting.

Family ties that were hindering me from

going on with the Lord and in being the wife

and mother I was called to be in Him.

 

They were hard things.

Heart wrenching things.

 

There were the contaminating things

that I had to let go of...

books that were from Christian bookstores

that contained more psychobabble than

Scriptural counsel

that had to have their place of

honor in the bonfire...

movies that once I watched

that were not worthy to have

their place in a child of God's possession.

 

There were life styles I had to say no to.

The commonly accepted sins of the church

in work and eating practices

that smack of idolatry.

 

There were speech impediments I

have had say no to and train in

a better way...

gossip that isn't called

gossip by many Christians...

slanderous conversations

about people who wronged

me in the past...

 

I am a work in progress,

and still have leaky places in my

vessel that the Potter needs to

mend...

 

I tremble to think that HE would

even consider me and give me

work to do in His Vineyard,

but I humbly

and reverently

place myself at His Cross

and willingly accept all the

tasks His wisdom assigns me.

 

It has been my experience

that as I lay aside what

hinders me from becoming

useful in God's Kingdom,

the eyes of my understanding

increase in their enlightenment,

my life becomes freer

(no, the sorrows do not go away; this

world is not a friend to grace! But

I am free in HIM!),

and there is a peace and joy

in my heart that no one can

take away from me.

 

And as I labor in the Vineyard,

and see the fields that are

white unto harvest,

my heart cry goes out with

Jesus' cry when HE said

"Truly the harvest is great but

the laborers are few.

Pray the Lord of the harvest

that He may send for

reapers."

 

My encouragement for myself

and all of us is that we

will do as 2 Tim 2: 21 says

and prepare ourselves

to be vessels that are

profitable and useful.

 

I had to think of Hebrews 12:1

 

"...let us lay aside every weight

which doth so easily beset us,

and let us run with patience

the race that is set before us.

Looking unto JESUS,

the author and finisher

of our faith..."

 

In Him, we live and move and have our being.

Let us grow in maturity and become

useful vessels that can do much work

for Him in His Kingdom.

 

Love and blessings,

Marcia