He sits at his wheel, the feel of the cool, moist clay slick on his hands as he moves them along the inside and outside of the mound. His hands follow the rhythm set by the slow and steady movement of his feet propelling the pottery wheel around and around. The clay once a hard slab, now soft and malleable, slowly begins to form into the creation he envisioned. The potter continues the process carefully transforming the clay so that it is formed to perfection. To vary the shape would change the purpose of his creation. Satisfied with his work, the potter smiles at the completed, perfect, useable cup.
The potter continues to create cup after cup after cup. Nothing is mass produced, but is unique just as the creator envisioned it to be used. He created the two handled cup for the hands of a child snuggled on the sofa watching TV. He envisioned an extravagantly decorated cup to be filled with rich, exotic chocolate mixed with the finest cream, laced with gold and sipped in front of a roaring fire. The brightly colored cup was created to sit on the teacher’s desk filled with pencils ready for the children to grab. Packed with dirt, the broad brimmed cup will hold the beginning of new life as green sprouts peak out of the soil. Made to grace the table at the queen’s annual Spring tea, is a delicate cup decorated with eggs nestled inside. Each cup will be used for purposes as varied as the creator can create.
We, like the potter’s cups, will be used for purposes as varied as the creator can create. We may have talents and skills similar to someone else, but we are not massed produced. The exact combination of our talents, skills, abilities, gifts* and personality are unique to us. Each of us has a purpose envisioned by the potter who created us, God.
But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter;
And all we are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8
Like the potter created a cup to be used, God, our potter, would not have created any of us without a purpose.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
What about all the mistakes I have made in my life? How can God us me now?
Look around you. Do you know anyone who is perfect? I sure don’t! We are all imperfect and we all mess up. Through a skilled potter’s hands, a cup that is misshapen can still be transformed. It may retain a few lumps, but it can still be molded for use as the beautiful cup he envisions. When we turn aside from the wrongs we commit, God will even use our past for the purpose He intended for our lives. Through the skilled hands of our loving God, He will still transform us to be used for the beautiful purpose he envisions.
In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 NIV
What about my age?
Do you think you are too old or too young for God to use you? What about those cups in your cupboard? They may be chipped, dirty, pristine, gold rimmed, mended, worn, cracked or glued together after many years of use, but they are still usable. Age makes no difference to God.
Do you know the purpose God envisioned for you?
The first step to discovering God’s purpose for us is to allow our creator to continually mold us as He envisioned. Like that first hard lump of clay was not malleable until after it was softened, we need to allow our hearts to be softened towards God. Just like the potter cannot mold hard clay, a hard heart cannot be molded. But with a soft heart, we can be transformed by God.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
How are we transformed?
God transforms us when our mind is renewed through:
- Prayer, Psalm 66:19
- Reading, studying and meditating on God’s Word, Proverbs 2:1-5
- Listening to God, Psalm 46:10
- Following God’s directions, John 14:21
We may not discover our purpose immediately, but by allowing Him to transform us daily,
our purpose will be revealed.
It may be our career, volunteer activity, raising a family or a number of other things. God may thrust us into a place of prominence or use us as a steady influence in the background. Whatever it is, it is important.
We may discover our purpose as a youth, like Josiah who became a godly king at age 8 (2 Chronicles 34:1-2) or when we are older, like Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt at age 80, (Exodus 7:7). Whenever it is revealed, the key is to allow God to fill, use and direct us daily as He molds us for His purpose.
It takes faith to wait for God’s purpose to be revealed. It is not always easy to wait.
But not waiting on the Lord’s timing, is like the potter who spins his wheel too fast in an effort to finish his cup quickly. That potter would not be able to control the shape of the cup. His clay would end up torn, battered and warped.
It takes faith to allow God to mold us into what He created us to be.
“Just as the piece of clay needs to fully trust the potter to make it into the exact pot he wants to make – in the same way we need to fully trust the Lord to mold, shape, and transform our personalities, along with leading our lives into the specific directions that He will want to take them in.”1
Like the cup the potter made, we are all vessels waiting to be filled. What fills, molds and transforms us are our experiences, relationships and choices. We can fill and mold ourselves into whatever we want by directing our lives without including God in our choices. When we do that, we are making ourselves like the potter who doesn’t place his mound of clay in the center of the wheel. As he spins the wheel around, it becomes out of balance and misshapen. Or we can allow our loving God to be the center of our lives. He then can fill, mold and direct us for His glorious purpose and our ultimate good.
Like that cup that is always available sitting by the coffee pot ready to be used daily, let’s all be available, ready for God to fill and use us daily, too.
God sees us like the potter holding clay as he envisions through eyes of love what that clay can become. We may see ourselves as mud, but God sees the potential for a finished, beautiful cup to be filled for a purpose.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jerimiah 29:11 NIV
REFLECTION
Do you believe God has a purpose for your life? Do you know what it is?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write Jeremiah 29:11 and say it aloud, help me to allow you to mold me for the purpose you have for me. Help me to hear your voice and have the courage to follow you in faith. In Jesus name. Amen.
IN FAITH ALLOW GOD TO MOLD AND FILL YOU FOR HIS PURPOSE
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Thanks so much!
May your day be filled with love and laughter!
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Potter photo by Brett Jordan, unsplash
Tea cup photo by Terri Cnudde, pixabay
Old tea cup photo by Elena Mozhvilo, unsplash
1 Bible-knowledge.com
*gifts; Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31
