Imagine with me, if you will, the attitudes these two clay jars may have had. The perfect jar was proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked jar was ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable over accomplishing only half of what it had been made to do.

After years of what the cracked jar perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked jar spoke to the man has he filled both jars at the well.

“Master, I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.”

“What are you ashamed of?” asked the man.

“For these many years I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way to the house. Because of my flaws, you don’t get full value from me.”

The man said, “As we return to the house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.” As they went up the hill, the cracked jar noticed the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path. When they reached the house, the man said to the imperfect jar, “Did you notice the flowers grew only on your side of the path, not on the other jar’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them. For years I have been able to pick beautiful flowers to decorate my home.”

The story is about our flaws. It’s about each of us being a simple jar of clay – with a crack in it, no less – and that Jesus uses even us leaky vessels to bless the world.

But there’s more to the story – so let’s dig deeper. God’s Word tells us that we have the treasure of the Gospel in us – yet, we are nothing but jars of clay – imperfect vessels made of earth. This vast difference or discrepancy between the value of the treasure and the vessel used to carry the treasure is to show that this all-surpassing power within us is from God and not from ourselves!

If we were as wonderful as the treasure itself – we might become the object of worship and adoration ourselves – instead of the treasure we carry: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. No – we are imperfect and flawed so the perfect message of the Good News of Christ can be seen. But – the only place the Good News of Christ can be seen is in us! Imperfect as we are; cracked though we may be – we’re it!

We’re always trying to glean and distill some ancient wisdom from Scripture that we all need to learn. I’ve reduced this wisdom down to these words: “Become the kind of vessel God can use to present His blessings to the world.”

But – you may ask – if we’re a leaky clay jar, how can we become the kind of vessel God can use to present His blessings to the world? Aren’t we just who and what we are? Surely there’s no way to improve; we can’t “become.” We’re just what we appear to be and there’s nothing we can do about it, right?

Friends – that’s the problem with our approach to many of Jesus’ teachings, and much of the apostles’ teachings in God’s Word: we tend to read it, apply it all by itself, and never look deeper into His Word about the deeper meanings and how it’s applied.

Here’s an important point I want to make here in this blog: the way God can best use us to present His blessings to the world is by us purifying ourselves! We can improve as clay vessels. God’s Word tells us to “purify ourselves” (2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 3:1-3). And as we seek to purify ourselves, God joins us and works to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus. It’s a partnership, and we must be committed to becoming “the kind of vessel God can use to present His blessings to the world.”

Purity in life is many times associated with sexual purity. That’s part of it. We need to be sexually pure: No affairs. No porn. Getting control over our thought-life. No impure thoughts. But purity in life is much more than our thought-life or our sex life!

Hate is impurity.
Losing our temper is impurity.
Holding a grudge is impurity.
Shoplifting is impurity.
Gossip is impurity.

The list can go on and on. . .

Scripture tells us: The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to Him. (Proverbs 15:26)

The rhetorical question the Psalmist asked God was: How can a young man keep his way pure? The answer the Psalmist gives himself, was simply this: By living according to Your word. (Psalm 119:9)

How do we purify ourselves? By learning to live according to the Word of God.

That's another important point I want to make in this blog - the best way to purify yourself is to become a student of the Word, and never stop learning! Read and study each and every day. Become a hungry student who wants to devour the entire Word of God, and learn to live by it every day.

Becoming the kind of vessel the Lord can use is our goal; purity in life is the way we improve our usefulness; learning to live by God’s Word is the way we purify ourselves.

Turn to Joshua 1:6-9 to read how Joshua was used of God, and how he was instructed to improve his usefulness. God told Joshua:

“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)

Read 2 Corinthians 4:1-10 to find what the Apostle Paul taught us about being used by God – and improving our usefulness as a vessel:

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. (2 Corinthians 4:1-10)

In the same way, the Apostle John also taught us about being used by God and improving our usefulness:

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)

Jesus was good: He was kind to people and loved everyone – even His enemies. He challenged the haughty, but had patience and compassion on the lowly and poor in spirit.

Jesus was wholesome: He loved family and friends and time spent well together. He was energetic, an early riser, quick to pray and devoted to a life spent conversing with His Father.

Jesus was transparent: He was exactly what and who He purported to be. There was nothing hidden in Him. He was real and genuine in everything He said and did.

Jesus was winsome: Jesus laughed, went to parties, and spent an amazing amount of time with people. He was easy to please, and easy to be around.

Jesus was innocent; He was well-versed in the ways of the world, yet stayed clear of the things that would de-rail Him. There was no sin and no temptation that hurt His daily walk.

Do these things describe you? They should. You’re called to purify yourself – just as He is pure! How? How can we work on that? Is there a “plan of action” available? The answer is yes. Listen to what the Apostle Peter teaches you:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

If we could distill all of this down, we might get a helpful “plan of action” that would provide some food for thought as we work to purify ourselves – just as He is pure. Here is what I came up with – all from Scripture – to help us work on becoming the kind of vessel God can use to present His blessings to the world.

Choose the right direction.
Seek holiness.
Realize your life is what reveals Jesus to the world.
Use God’s Word as your guide.
Walk in confidence.

Choose the right direction.
Renounce secret and shameful ways.
Do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.
Be self-controlled.
Prepare your mind for action.

Seek holiness.
Purify yourself, just as He is pure.
Be holy in all you do.

Realize your life is what reveals Jesus to the world.
Let His light shine in your heart.
Carry in your body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed.
Preach that Jesus is Lord and that you are His servant.
Set forth the truth plainly.

Use God’s Word as your guide.
Live according to God’s Word.
Be careful to obey all of God’s Word;
do not let His Word depart from your mouth;
meditate on it day and night;
be careful to do everything written in it.

Walk in confidence.
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged,
for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Don’t lose heart.
Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.

This is how you purify yourself. . . it’s how you work each day to become a vessel God can best use to present His blessings to the world.

We have the treasure of the Gospel in us – but we are nothing but jars of clay – imperfect vessels made of earth. This is to show that this all-surpassing power within us is from God and not from ourselves! We’re called to “become the kind of vessel God can use to present His blessings to the world.

We’re called to purify ourselves – just as He is pure – and as we seek to purify ourselves, God joins us and works to make us into the image of His Son, Jesus. It’s a partnership – to which we must be committed.