2 CORINTHIANS 4:7 – But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

THEME OF THE DAY. HE ONLY USES THE WEAK AND BROKEN. What are the qualifications a person must possess to be used by the Lord? Well, let’s provide what is not required, and in fact, are disqualifiers – great natural ability, winsome personalities, self-confidence, professional development of a natural talent, and an inward sense that one can really do what is required of a servant of the Lord.

Now the real list of qualities that puts a person in a position to be used of the Lord – overwhelming sense of weakness, fear from being awe-struck by the magnitude of privilege and responsibility in serving the Lord, self-knowledge we are absolutely void of power to do anything for the Lord, and finally, we realize our brokenness for it is only broken vessels, jars of clay, He uses for His purposes. And that leads to the main thrust in today’s nugget – the danger of listening to the devil and ourselves telling us because of our brokenness God cannot use us. Many Christians see their failures, their blemishes, their “cracks in themselves” and instead of seeing them as God does – requirements for service – they listen to lies saying they remove us from fruitful service; like the fruitful service from the cracked pot in the Chinese folktale you are about to read . . .

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.” The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Yes, we have this treasure – Christ in us, Christ’s power through us – and it is contained in jars of clay; broken jars of clay. And remember, in our brokenness comes the blessing, not for ourselves, but for others – the sweet smelling fragrance of the One who was first broken for us!

PRAYER: “Father, help me to rejoice in my weaknesses that Your power may flow through me for Your glory.”

QUOTE: “If you think you can serve God, you just confessed your inability. He only uses the inadequate and incapable.”