Jars of clay

God has been speaking to me about what I thought were 2 different topics but have discovered that in actual fact they are 2 aspects that are extensions of each other. Growth and Pottery Let me explain. I have recently become aware of how God has been working in my life and how much I have grown. It’s difficult for me to write about this because I can’t quantify it or tell you exactly when this happened. I have a long way to go but I somehow came to the realisation that I have grown: in faith, in love and even in the most difficult part: in my behavior and thoughts. 

We are all on a journey on this earth. But I guess we don’t all grow. What I mean is that reaching a place of maturity is a choice, and that, actually, no one is forced to make that choice. The thing is if we don’t we will end up making life more difficult; both for ourselves and those around us. Even Jesus had to grow- he came as a baby and didn’t start his real ministry until about 30 years old they say. Yes at age 12 he was in the temple and people were astounded by his wisdom, but in Luke 2:52 we read: “and Jesus matured, growing in BOTH body and Spirit.” Yes even perfect Jesus grew.(This for me confirms again the whole FULLY human and FULLY God aspect)

Ok so what does this have to do with pottery. Well there is this famous line in the Bible that most Christians can quote about God being the Potter and us being the clay. I guess pretty self explanatory but actually go and try to do pottery; and this thing takes on whole other levels.

Yes I tried to delve into the art of pottery. Failed miserably but God revealed to me a little insight in to what this nice-to-quote verse really entails. The verses I reference here are actually in Jeremiah and God is speaking through Jeremiah to His people using the illustration of a Potter working with clay. The first thing I learnt in pottery is that you cannot mold the clay before you work it. You need to add some water and get your hands dirty. God is saying in this verse that He actually longs for the Israelites to be like clay, that He wants to get His hands dirty to mold them. The end result being clay - useless clay-being turned in to beautiful pots that can be used by God. But the Israelites were like hard baked clay: difficult to mold. But God is no ordinary Potter, we are in His hands and if we stay pliable just like the illustration: He can remold us. It doesn’t matter how hard we have gotten, if this world has baked us dry: God’s living water can soften our hearts and mold us. If only we would submit and call on His name. I am scared of becoming the Israelites in the sense that they always forgot God. I almost treasure my pain and hurt; in that it reminds me to stay fully reliant on Him. But I don’t really have to worry: He is faithful in my storm and in my peace and even in my ordinary mundane day to day. His Holy Spirit is with me to help me stay focussed on Him. And I am clay being molded in to a Jar that carries the special treasure of Jesus and the Holy Spirit that overflows in to the lives of those I come across. What an honor and what a privilege. The amazing thing is that God didn’t use this illustration to say we are Potters and need to mold ourselves. But unlike clay we are alive. God breathed life-giving breath in to us and so we are not fully like clay. Yes God can mold us. But we have to submit. There is this thing I like to say: “the result/ outcome is not my responsibility it is God’s. My responsibility is obedience.” So unlike clay we are not completely inactive in this molding experience. We have to lay our lives down on the wheel and allow God the Potter to work the clay of our hearts. That’s what the Israelites struggled with. They were constantly making their own plan and what a mess that became. Soft clay spinning on the wheel doesn’t just render the clay useless but it messes up the entire room as well. I have a lot of thoughts on this topic but let’s try and sum up the just of what I want to say today. 1. Growth is a choice; you have to lay yourself down on the Potters wheel 2. Growth doesn’t happen without God: He is the Potter 3. The mess ( soft worked clay) of our hearts can be turned not only in to something useful for God but something beautiful : the end result a beautiful jar of clay that God stores treasure in I guess in ending this post I would just say that it may be a good idea to go try some pottery out for yourself and let God reveal to you a personal revelation of this image. I hope you grow not only in understanding but in Love for a God who is as close as a Potters hands are to a ball of clay. Love Doe