Broken Vessels

 

 

 

 

        "Mama tried!" She really does.  Often I hear out of my kids mouths things like, “You’re so mean!”, “Why do you have to ruin everything!”, and my personal favorite, “I'm going to find a new family!” (good luck finding one to take you!)  There is the constant struggle with time, resposibilities and just using good personal hygiene everyday! Between the kids and the house and the husband all needing and deserving attention and the ever present pressure of living up to a unreachable standard that our world has put on us, it's enough to make you crack!  Some days ,(I’m positive others can relate) I just break and have a good cry.  I can’t be perfect. I’m broken. BUT, the good news is…I’m meant to be.  Let me explain.

 

        “You take our failures, you take our weakness. You set your treasure in jars of clay. So take this heart , Lord, I’ll be your vessel. The world to see, Your life in me.”  These lyrics play through my head often. They’re from the song Broken Vessels by Hillsong.  While many lyrics of the song stand out to me, these in particular catch my attention everytime I hear them.  I mean I sing this song with our praise team on some Sunday mornings and I can barely make it through without breaking down.  Seriously! (Lord, can’t I just make it through a meaningful song without shaking!!)

 

      SO I took a little time to dive into what God was trying to say to me everytime I hear those words. The phrase “jars of clay” comes from 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (Huh??  Jars of what now?  Treasure you say? Are we talking gold deplumes here cause I don’t remember pirates in the Bible?).

 

    Jars of clay were used in ancient times to hold goods to be stored for use , like we use pitchers or tupperware today.  They were formed in a fire kiln. Shaped to hold a specific good the creator had intended for it. You and I are Gods jars of clay. He forms us, puts us to the fire, and shapes us for a use he has already mapped out for us.  These clay jars were common to most households.  They were perishable and fragile and easily chipped and cracked….just like us. Yet, this verse suggests He set HIS treasure in these fragile jars of clay.  His treasure, as we understand from the Bible, is Himself! Jesus, the life changing Gospel, and eternal life.  So wait… God has put this amazing message inside me? YES!

 

      Stay with me…many of us (myself included) tend to be sometimes preoccupied with what our “jar” looks like from the outside or what our jar is being used for and accomplishing. We want to fit in and not stand out in any way. I heard this saying, “There is something wrong when the vessel robs the treasure of its glory.”   We also have those moments that break us. Our perishable jars become cracked by the things in our lives that weigh on us and cause us to try and use that man-made salve to patch ourselves, so no one can see the imperfections. Some of us have unsalvageable holes in our jars, caused by deep rooted trauma.  We know those holes will be seen, so we hide that side towards the wall.

 

       What I needed to be reminded of was that it’s through the broken cracks and holes that His light (treasure) can shine through.  We are not meant to be common jars of clay used for common purposes- that’s the worlds way.  We are created to hold a treasure, and to let others see that treasure in us.  Broken is exactly what God intended our treasure holding jars to look like.  Those kids can make those hurtful comments while I continue to help keep them alive from day to day.  That acquaintance can keep on judging me and my proudly worn flaws.  Temptations will continue to try and bombard my thoughts and actions and I will continue to crack from day to day. The one thing thats changing is how I respond to my broken jar……….So take this heart , Lord.  I’ll be your vessel.  The world to see your life in me.