| Ministering Out of Our Weakness The Cracked Pot
A water bearer in
India had two large pots, each hung on each end
of a pole which he carried across his neck. One
of the pots had a crack in it, and while the
other pot was perfect and always delivered a full
portion of water. At the end of the long walk
from the stream to the master's house, the
cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two
years this went on daily, with the bearer
delivering only one and a half pots full of water
to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot
was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the
end for which it was made. But the poor cracked
pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and
miserable that it was able to accomplish only
half of what it had been made to do. After two
years of what it perceived to be a bitter
failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by
the stream.
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"I am ashamed of
myself, and I want to apologize to
you." "Why?" asked the
bearer. "What are you ashamed
of?"
"I
have been able, for these past two years,
to deliver only half my load because this
crack in my side causes water to leak out
all the way back to your master's house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all
of this work, and you don't get full
value from your efforts," the pot
said.
The water
bearer felt sorry for the old cracked
pot, and in his compassion he said,
"As we return to the master's house,
I want you to notice the beautiful
flowers along the path."
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Indeed, as they
went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice
of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on
the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad
because it had leaked out half its load, and so
again it apologized to the bearer for its
failure.
The bearer said to
the pot, "Did you notice that there were
flowers only on your side of your path, but not
on the other pot's side? That's because I have
always known about your flaw, and I took
advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your
side of the path, and every day while we walk
back from the stream, you've watered them. For
two years I have been able to pick these
beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.
Without you being just the way you are, he would
not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our
own unique flaws. We re all cracked pots. But if
we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to
grace His Father's table.
In God's great
economy, nothing goes to waste. So as we seek
ways to minister together, and as God calls you
to the tasks He has appointed for you, don't be
afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow
Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can
be the cause of beauty in His pathway. Go out
boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His
strength, and that "In Him every one of
God's promises is a Yes."
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-Romans 5:1-8
Therefore,
since we are justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have obtained access to this
grace in which we stand; and we boast in our
hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that, but we also boast in our
sufferings, knowing that suffering produces
endurance, and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope, and hope does
not disappoint us, because God's love has
been poured into our hearts through the Holy
Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right
time Christ died for the ungodly.
Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a
righteous person--though perhaps for a good
person someone might actually dare to die.
But God proves his love for us in that while
we still were sinners Christ died for us
O
Lord, help us to see the
flowers that have sprung up along the
paths we have travelled. And
give us grace to keep on walking.
In Christ's Name. Amen
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