A Vessel For Honor

Wow! We use a lot of stuff. We have decorations and little things all around the house that we only use for the 2-3 weeks before Christmas. Granted, most of the little ornaments and decorations have been given to us as gifts, so I don't think we are unlike most households. We also have lots of household utensils that we use everyday- things for cleaning, preparing meals, serving. As I was reading 2 Timothy, I started to look at all of the "vessels" (utensils) we have in our home and wondering how we came to have so many different items. We wouldn't think of using a toothbrush to clean our toilet or a toilet brush to scrub our plates. We wouldn't use the same cloth to wipe up a spill as we would to wash our face. We wouldn't use a dog bowl to serve our Christmas ham. Before the knowledge of bacteria and causes of some disease, the Jewish law had guidelines for keeping utensils separate: clean from unclean. Vessels to honor and vessels to dishonor.
It seems like common sense to us that we keep the vessels of honor (those of silver, gold, metal) separate from those used for dishonorable tasks (wooden, earthen, disposable). Sometimes, though, the utensils used for more important things are disposable and those for more menial tasks become longer lasting. There is a blur in what is honorable and what is dishonorable.
Paul instructs Timothy on how to become a vessel of honor, giving him some practical guidelines. To be a utensil that is useful to God, we should run from (not simply avoid) the desires of things that are forbidden. We should pursue righteousness and faith. We should refuse to argue over words, avoiding empty quarrels. We should be kind, patient, ready to teach. We should correct the wrong gently, not with force. 
I pray that I may become a better utensil, more sturdy, more holy, ready to be used by God for serving and other honorable tasks. I choose not to be disposable and used for dirty and dishonorable tasks.
(Ref. 2 Timothy 2:21-26). 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living in southern Indiana as an immigrant from Tennessee, I have never been considered a "true Hoosier". We are about 2 hours away from Brown County (Nashville) and have always heard about what a nice place it was to visit, but in 24 years, had never been there for more than an hour or so when passing through. So when the opportunity came up for an unplanned long July 4th weekend, we decided to take the RV up and see what was there.  Making late reservations and wanting a full-service site, we ended up at Westward Ho. KOA and Brown County State Park did not have sites available for the time period and with the services we wanted. The park, while along a noisy road, is adequate for us. We had a nice roomy site under a tree with room to park our car. Also, there was plenty of grass to walk our dog (she especially liked walks around the lake and listening to the bullfrogs). While the traffic from the main road was a little noisy outside, inside was quiet with no noisy camper...
Read more

Seeking alignment

Uniformity with people who do not follow God is possible. Unity is not. That is, unless I choose to sacrifice truth and ignore wickedness. Being 'unequally yoked' not only involves relationships of intimacy (i.e. dating and marriage), but also relationships with friends and, maybe more importantly, business dealings. Seeing how King Jehoshaphat aligned himself with wicked King Ahab through marriage, politics, military, and business is an example to me of how I attempt to thwart God's plan for me by not seeking His will in all areas of my life. I can never find what I am looking for in life outside the will of God. He loves me too much for my wandering plans to succeed.
Read more

Home Base

My internal alarm still goes off between 4:30 and 5:00. Thankfully, the internal snooze still works. Up, in the chair, hot coffee in the cup. The 'workstation' Gena set up for me (it's actually a 'Try to Keep me Sane Station') is phenomenal. Without having to get up, I have access to my computer, Blackberry, Bible, books, snacks, drinks, iPod w/ headphones, medications, remote controls, movies (thanks Mortons), and blankets. Within a short hop/skip/jump, I have every piece of Durable Medical Equipment a good nursing home needs. I don't have to leave the bedroom. This recovery may take a lot longer than expected  ;-)
Read more