Isaiah 64:8
but now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.

What a marvelous statement this is! This requires a high degree of soul searching for a person to admit that there is a Master more superior than self. We all know the soul is a self exalting entity that wants to be recognized by all in its surrounding for many things among which achievements is top. However the prophet is saying that in his soul there is nothing impressive about his soul, he is just a piece of clay, surrendering to the hand of his Maker, acknowledging the inadequacies of his soul vis-à-vis the full adequacy of his Creator.

Many of us are reluctant to let go of the control of our lives, power, business, families and other earthly possessions. Success or failure in our walk after God entails that we should be willing to reach our end. God cannot come into a heart that is full, God will not reveal Himself to somebody who is full of things of this world, and God cannot intervene in situations where we are full of our own ideas and opinions. That is not how God operates, the principle of total commitment nothing less.

A vessel is completely subject to the hand of the potter, he decides which size or pattern to use for every particular vessel, he also decides the purpose for which the vessel will be applied. The power of creation until commission rests in the hands of the potter, in such stage; the vessel is impotent in every way.

When the process of creation is in progress the vessel is in every way at the mercy of the potter. Total reliance to the magnanimity of the porter is all the vessel can do at most. Hope that whatever use it is put it will be acceptable to the Master. The choice of what use it should be applied for is not an opportunity that is given to the vessel. We find that God uses all as He wishes, He used Peter mightily. His lack of education and experience not withstand in thee ministry to the circumcised while at the same time He used Paul, educated under the very best scholars of his time for ministry to the gentiles is a many way.

Today men and women are chosen to serve God in various capacities as God wills, however very few are willing to be molded into shape of what He intends to use them for. They whine, complain at every turn, and criticize every step they are taken through. The purpose of their calling is upon the Caller and not the called to decide in which way to use the same that He is calling.

Just imagine a cup, plate or a fork telling the owner how and when they want to be used, imagine a car telling the owner how and when it wants to be driven. This scenario would be unacceptable to the owner. All vessels are at the disposal of the house owner and they can be used for whatever purpose the owner wants to. They are bought for a price and a purpose, whether of honor or not it is for the owner to decide; in the same way we should be glad that God uses us for anything, we can not chose what to do or not to do. We too were bought for a price, the blood of Jesus Christ as it is written in 1 Corinthians 6:20- For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. Our value cannot be quantified in monetary terms and therefore we should be more obedient than all utensils that have price tags in shops and markets.

2 Timothy 2:20
But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.

The owner is the only one mandated to assign honor to whichever vessel he wishes, no vessel can claim to be independent of the owner, none. We are these vessels and Owner of the house is our Lord Jesus Christ, He assigns each and every one of us tasks as He deems necessary. Many vessels want to determine their value instead of the owner of the house. However many of us attach more value and importance to some tasks and despise others.

Jesus knows our value more clearly than we do; we should therefore shed our self importance and do what we are supposed to do as expected without boasting or attaching more import in what we do above others. He to all mankind captive gave gifts to all in whatever name He used. All these gifts are for a purpose and that purpose cannot be wished away so quickly; neither can it be shoved aside for whatever reason. A servant cannot over or under value what the other servants are assigned to do. As far as I know, companies employ C.E.O.’s and the same employs cleaners, each position has a task to perform which contributes to the overall success or failure of the company.

In the same way companies do, so does our Lord, however with Him the grading system is different because He said that whoever wants to be great, he must serve first. Greatness before God is the service and not the executive. Thoughts, ways and value systems of God are very different from those of man. What man thinks as least important is what is valuable to God and whatever man considers important is of no value to God.

Though we are great thinkers and philosophers, very few have grasped this concept of servitude, Jesus warned His disciples of it. When He spoke about sitting at places of honor at feasts seeking or implying honor unto oneself only to be debased when the host removes you from that seat for somebody else to sit. I think we are the generation that the prophets and Jesus spoke about, those that have ears and do not hear, have eyes but do no see.

Looking at the church today you find that extremely few people want to serve God at ‘lower’ levels, how we set these levels I don’t know, maybe one day I will. People are starting ministries and assume many big titles that they forget why they were called in the first place. Others are given roles in the church and they feel that they’ve not been recognized properly so they cause problems in their respective fellowships because of that, some break away from the church to form splinter groups where they are lords.

What I am saying is that we should appreciate any role that God gives us to play in His great Kingdom; it is an honor even to be considered to serve. Most of us don’t realize that; that it is by grace we live, by His mercies we are saved. Indeed it is a great honor even to be considered for any role. David once said that he would give anything just to stand the gate of the kingdom of God. Imagine a king who was so down to earth in matters related to God at a time when monarchs were worshipped as gods.

Whether or not our positions are recognized by man should not be important, what is important is are you serving from the Masters point of view or are you serving from your own point of view? Without answering that question then our services will have question marks before God who I believe is the appointing authority in every case.                                   Humility and humbleness is the key to serving God, Jesus said in Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Meekness does not imply docility; it means that accepting whatever role(s) that are given to us with a thankful heart and doing everything in our power to excel in them. Honor should never be defined from a human point of view but from God’s point of view, this is very important as our Lord and Savior said that He did not come to be served but to serve others Himself. Why can’t we borrow a leaf from the Master and stop squabbling about who is what and start serving the body of Christ from His example. I am sure He showed that example for a reason, not just a by the way act. Everything He did was symbolic and should be followed.

The squabbles about leadership in the church today are the number one reason why the church is not taken seriously even by the world today. All the blasphemy that is happening right now and those who are spiritual will agree with me. When the world sees such conduct among the brethren, can they really accept to be party to such fuss? Many people would like to know more about Jesus Christ but the actions of those inside always keep on going contrary to the very teaching and faith they profess. Instead of being used as vessels that brings honor to God we achieve the exact opposite.

This is mainly the cause of all derision people hold against the church of Christ and I can assure you that as Jesus said that whoever makes one of His stumble would rather have a millstone hanged upon his neck and thrown into the sea than face the wrath that is to come. This my brethren has come to pass, when the people who are responsible for bringing  people of the world back to God are the very people out of unfounded ambition are keeping the world out of church, God have mercy of us. The time is now to decide which kind of a vessel you are going to be; one that assigns its own importance or one that waits for the Master to assign its importance and honor. The honor system of the world only corrupts even the best intentioned purposes in order to reduce effectiveness of God’s chosen vessels. The enemy is very clever and cunning in this aspect, from the beginning he has been subverting the Word of God and His good intentions to take away the reward from the servants of God.

It is therefore imperative that servants of God should wake up from their deep slumber and realize that they are under attack from the enemy and the intention is to delay, divert, confuse if not stop the Word of God from being spread and fulfilled on earth. Arise and serve God under His own terms for that is when victory is sure. The devil makes servants drunk with power, greed for material things and thirst for recognition that they’ve forgotten how to have meaningful fellowship with God.

For how long will we watch this happening before we open our spiritual eyes and see what the enemy is doing? How long ladies and gentlemen shall we concentrate on leadership wrangles while the devil is wrecking havoc upon the sheep we are supposed to be herding for our Master Jesus Christ? What excuse will we give before the Father who called and chose each one of us to serve Him at whatever capacity He decides? Can we sober up for just once and understand that devil rules where there is chaos?

This devotional was written by Bishop Joseph Koburu Mukiira of Maximum Victory and Joy Worship Centre Nairobi Kenya and brought to you courtesy of Journey 2 Joy International Ministries Inc. USA

©All rights reserved by Bishop Joseph Mukiira

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