GOD'S CRACK-POTS
An ancient fable tells of a servant who drew water each morning for his master. Carrying two large pots suspended by a pole over his neck, he trudged uphill to the well, and slowly maneuvered his way down, careful not to spill a drop. However, by the time he reached the house, one pot was full, and the other one, practically empty.
The empty pot tried so hard not to spill water, but it was cracked, and the water slowly drizzled out along the path. The other pot constantly ridiculed its counterpart, calling it a “failure.” One day the poor cracked pot cried to the servant, “I’m useless. I spill all our master’s water on the path.”
The wise servant replied, “Your cracks actually makes you more useful than the other pot. Do you see the flowers growing along the path from the well to the house? I planted those flowers from seeds. Thanks to your flaw, they are in full bloom. As the water drips from your cracks, the seeds grow, creating the beautiful flowers I place on the master’s table.”
In many ways we’re all like that cracked pot. In scripture, some of God’s greatest servants were “crack-pots.” The flaws in their character created greater usefulness for the Lord. Think of Moses, David and Jonah. How about Peter the loud mouth, and Paul a religious fanatic? One way or another, God took these men’s flaws and drew delight from their deficiencies. God only works with flawed, cracked vessels. Because that’s all he has to work with. We’re all bona-fide, 100% crack-pots.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul refers to a flaw in his life as his “thorn in the flesh.” After pleading with the Lord to remove it, God replied, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
If you’re like me, you probably beat yourself up because of your imperfections. Maybe we need to accept them. Maybe we need to praise God for them. Maybe we need to embrace the fact that we’re all a bunch of crack-pots.
UPDATE ON LINDA: She’s struggled this past week with healing reactions from detoxing her body—things such as constant nausea, mood swings, and depression. She has a CT scan tomorrow (Saturday). Please pray for good results, even if you read this after the CT. God is able to answer “retroactive” prayers.
Principle: Our flaws can create greater usefulness for the Lord.
Ponder:
For what personal flaw do you often criticize yourself?
How might God use this flaw for greater fruitfulness in service to Him?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study 2 Corinthians 12:5-10.
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for my flaws. I surrender every aspect of my life to you. I lay my strengths and weaknesses at your feet. Use them for your glory.