Saturday Scriptures #2 Clay Pots

What Fills Your Clay Pot?

II Corinthians 4: 7-8
If you only look at us, you might well miss the brightness. We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives.  (The Message)

Clay pots aren't very fancy, are they?  But, they get the job done. They hold the plants in the soil, hold the water and nutrients the plant needs to live and basically shelter the roots of the plant from the elements. You could say that, in the world of plant containers, clay pots are at the bottom of the rung of choices for beauty and elegance on our patio or porch.  Therefore, most people would not choose to simply put a clay pot on their front porches for everyone to look at without putting anything in it. No, that would not add brightness at all. They might, however, choose to fill the clay pot with beautiful flowers, brimming with blooms of colorful petals and greenery. Not that would change that ordinary clay pot into something to behold, wouldn't it? That would definitely merit a second glance.

In today's scripture, Paul refers to our lives as "unadorned clay pots" in which we carry around the message of Christ. In other words, our ordinary, day to day, go to work, clean the dishes, do the laundry, be a friend existence can turn our clay pot life into something quite extraordinary......depending on what plant we choose to put into our clay pot of life. There have been times when I haven't done a good job with choosing plants for my clay pot. Sometimes, I have chosen the "envy plant" when I have felt that others had something that I wanted. And, I am ashamed to say that at other times I have chosen the "frustration plant" when I have lost patience with others or the "anger plant" when I feel I have been wronged or even the "holier than thou" plant when I have felt superior to others. None of these plants caused my clay pot to be attractive. None of these plants would have caused others to look at the clay pot and think to themselves, "Wow, I want what that clay pot has growing in it!"

Thankfully, I am not the only one in control of what goes into my clay pot of life. Christ has utimate control over my clay pot and, even though I may make wrong choices about certain plants, Jesus is there to weed out the bad plants and refill my clay pot with blooms that are beautiful, strong and long lasting plants. And He nurtures these plants to continue growing by shining His light directly on them. And it is this brightness that others can see and want for themselves. God's light brings forth aspects of our lives that promote forgiveness, kind words, truthfulness, gratefulness and love. These are the blooms that I want to cultivate in my clay pot.

There is a scripture from Romans 12: 1-2 that I framed and keep in my bathroom. I glance at it throughout the day and it always serves to remind me that it is in my ordinary day to day life that I show others that Christ is in my life. My clay pot life may not be fancy, but it is filled with the blooms of God's love.

"Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him."  (Romans 12:1-2 The Message)

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Shelbee On The Edge