All Things Made New
By: Judith Heaney
Tags: Faith and Life, Christianity, Living With Purpose, Faith, Unconditional Love

All Things Made New

Including me and you, no matter how badly we screw up

But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him — Jeremiah 18:4

photo credit: Thomas Pedrazzoli on Pixabay

The pot he was shaping was marred. Perhaps it was cracked or uneven or otherwise not quite what it could have been. But rather than toss it aside in favor of a better vessel, the Potter reforms it, reshaping it as seems best to Him. And so it becomes perfect.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like the pot that is marred and as such I feel so far from perfect. Actually, I don’t feel so much marred as broken, pretty much unusable.

In fact, today was one of those days. After getting up early enough to spend time with God and doing my Morning Pages, which were pretty much a pouring out of my heart in prayer, this day hurt my heart in unexpected ways.

Today, I didn’t do the right thing soon enough because I stumbled in advocating for my 11-year-old autistic daughter during a counseling session. Today, I experienced moments of regret for weakness, weakness that had me feeling like a marred vessel.

But God doesn’t see me that way. Not even in my what I deem my worst moments, God does not see me as a vessel that cannot be reshaped. He doesn’t cast me aside or give up on me. Even if I give up on myself, He never does.

Instead, He reminds me I am created in His image and I bear His likeness in this world. Then, He takes me in His hands and begins His perfect work, reshaping and reforming me. He smooths out the rough places and mends the cracks, including the ones created by me as well as those inflicted upon me by the world.

This is not a quick or simple process.

It can involve grief (for what we thought we would be or do or accomplish) or pain (from our failure or someone else’s) or anger (because I thought I’d be in a better place at this point in my life and sojourn of faith), and too often I don’t believe I’m worthy of His efforts.

Clearly He should be focused on those who are doing so much more — and better — for Him and His kingdom and His children. But, let’s face it. God chooses and uses the broken ones, the screw ups. He uses me. He calls those of us from the fringes and invites into His intimate circle.

God’s more interested in our hearts than our plans. — Bob Goff

photo credit: Pexels on Pixabay

Because of this truth, God shapes and reshapes me again, and again, and again. He never fails to see my potential in my brokenness. God takes the crooked, marred vessel we sometimes become and He shapes us as seems best to Him.

Friends, what could be better?

God designed me for good works and even when I am slower to do them than I wish I’d been, God celebrates my efforts. He sees my heart and creates plans to fit my heart’s desires (given to me by Him) and the gifts with which He designed me.

There is in each of us a beauty placed there by God Himself. Do you see the beauty in you that God sees? Do you see the beauty in your weakness, the beauty in your vulnerability, and the incredibly beauty in your brokenness? It’s there. It’s why He chooses to reshape us over and over.

photo credit: Peter H on Pixabay

In His hands our brokenness becomes more than enough rather than less than. God knows our potential because He created us and knows the gifts He’s placed within us and the good works awaiting us to complete.

We are not tossed aside in spite of our flaws and broken pieces. God takes that which is broken and declares it beautiful and restores it, reshapes it, refines it, and redeems it.

We are not defined by our yesterdays or by our mistakes. We are defined by His grace and His love, and we are made into our best in His hands.

How will you let God use your brokenness today?