A Broken Clay Pot

My grandmother had a special room when I lived with her as a child. It was the parlor, where no one ever went unless you were a very important guest. There you would find the best of her furniture, with frilly lace on the arms, fragile lamps, and a collection of pillows. But the most important eye-catchers were those colorful vases. The primary reason “little fingers” were not to be in this room was the fear of breaking these symbols of prosperity. They were symbols only, of course, because no one ever knew for certain their cost or age --it was more proper to just marvel over their bright colors and shiny finishes.

I learned about breaking these clay pots at an early age! Glue was never a suitable patching material for my attempts to restore these precious tokens to health. Grandma always had sharp eyes to see the cracked pot.

I think I have always been a “cracked pot” as well. God says I got that way by inheriting the damage that Adam inflicted on the human race. That’s certainly true, but I know that I would have probably done the same thing had I been faced with Adam’s choice. Over the years I have also learned that my attempts to patch the pot are futile. Oh, I know how to put on a brave face when I am afraid. I know how to answer “How are you?” with a carefree “OK” when I am hurting inside. And, on occasion, I even have learned how to put on my most compassionate look when I am trying to act concerned for the pain of others. God is watching and He knows how to detect the crack.

It would seem that God has a fascination for clay and pots. He is the potter and we are the clay. I learned some 30 or more years ago that God can use broken pots better than the ones that look solid and beautiful to the world. It turns out that He is more interested in what He can put into the pot than the exterior appearance or condition of the pot. Gideon experienced this when he put torches inside the pitchers. Only when the pitchers were broken could the light of the torches be seen. (Judges 7: 16-20). This whole picture applies to us as well. We have this “treasure in earthen vessels.” (2 Corinthians 4:7).
So we have discovered God’s secret! He loves us so much that He wants to come and live in our broken-down vessel. The older I get, the more broken down my vessel gets. That’s OK with God. When I accepted Jesus, His Holy Spirit came to live inside. Maybe He can shine through the cracks in my vessel. When I least expect it, when the world thinks that I should look and act like everyone else, maybe, just maybe, that will be the time the treasure shines forth. Then the world will see Jesus a little more clearly. He will show His patience and love when my old vessel can only show impatience. He will show wisdom out of a broken jar of ignorance. Hope will show from a vessel of despair.
So, you say, I will go on trying to patch my own vessel. I can make it through this life by applying some polish, a special course here and there, and overall just making sure that I look better than the next. Well, go on my friend, but you are acting like the little kid who got caught patching the broken cookie jar. Don’t worry about saving your broken pot--instead just invite Jesus to come into your life.

                                       Back