We Are The Clay

Luke 20:45-47 - Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said,  “Beware of these experts in religion, for they love to parade in dignified robes and to be bowed to by the people as they walk along the street. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at religious festivals! But even while they are praying long prayers with great outward piety, they are planning schemes to cheat widows out of their property. Therefore God’s heaviest sentence awaits these men.”

 

Jesus had spent most of the day redirecting the tricky questions of the religious leaders that were trying to trap Him into an answer they could use against Him. He saw the heart of the ones that questioned Him and let the Holy Spirit give Him the perfect words to turn their tricky questions into a way to expose their motives. After they had given up and walked way for the day he turned to the crowds and gave them this warning about becoming too like them.

 

What a great reminder that the object of becoming a servant of God is not to build ourselves up with rules and pious attitudes about how good we have become. The best motives for becoming a child of God is to become like His son…a servant of all that are lost. Once we know Jesus….and accept what He did to save us….His love should transform our heart into the humble servant that He became.

 

I admit that I had it wrong for years. I also admit that it is a really hard habit to break. Once you have let your heart become even the least bit selfish and self-righteous….it is hard to wash the remnants of the pride and piety completely out of your heart and soul. The world tries to trick us into thinking that we still need to depend on material things…and that we still need to prove how good we are to others.

 

It’s like that old hymn….Have thine own way Lord…we are the clay….not the potter.  That job belongs to God.  If we take over His job for even a second…pride and selfishness are planted into the clean heart that He gave His life to wash clean for us. It takes root and fills the space with so much junk that God has a hard time fitting in what he needs us to have there.

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that I need to weed my heart every time I look at it to make sure that humility still has a place to take root and grow.  Forgive me for the times I let pride and selfishness flourish so well that humility is choked completely out.  Help me to spend more time weeding the bad stuff out so you can plant more of what you need to grow in my heart. Amen.

 

https://youtu.be/Zg-DJjEV6R4