Episode 36: If Clay Could Talk

God is always at work, molding and shaping us into the design HE desires, but often—we have clear and strong objections to what He’s doing, and get stuck in a million “WHYS?”

Jeremiah 18:1-6 explains the image of a potter working with clay. The Master takes the clay and shapes it in the way that seems best to the potter, without the permission or understanding of the clay. In other words…the potter is in charge! But that leads us to our first clay principle gleaned from scripture:

CLAY PRINCIPLE #1: We don’t want to be the clay, we want to be the potter.

If you’ve ever seen a potter at work, it’s messy business. Water sprays everywhere, and the potter often takes a seemingly perfect vessel off the wheel and starts all over again. In this scriptural metaphor, God is the Potter who can see our fissures and cracks, even when we can’t. He knows that a small leak will drain or thwart our power and potential, so He lovingly starts again to get it right. 

In Romans 9:20-21 we see another clay principle emerge.

CLAY PRINCIPLE #2: We don’t choose our status - God shapes and we follow.

The Apostle Paul makes it clear that God can use the same lump of clay and craft some vessels for honorable use and some for common use. Honorable use refers to the positions in life that garnish attention, applause, or accolades. The platform people doing outstanding or noteworthy things. But what about common use? Simple friendships, loving a spouse well, encouraging children, mentoring, coaching, or doing things that no one will notice. To God…it’s all the same and He’s the one who decides what life the clay will harness.

CLAY PRINCIPLE #3: The purpose of our lives as clay is for God’s glory to be displayed. 

Jesus encounters a man born blind and the disciples ask who sinned, to cause the blindness. Jesus responds by explaining that neither the parents nor the boy sinned, but the blindness was so the glory of God might be shown in his life. He then spits on the dirt and made clay, placing it on the boy’s eyes so he could see. Like the blind boy who had the clay of Jesus on his eyes, we all need His touch to truly see.

When we submit to the Master’s plan for our lives, like clay in the potter’s hands, something lovely and strong will emerge.

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