We seem to love to “dress up” the outside of us, while totally ignoring the “heart” of the matter. Recently I read, “Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross” (Proverbs 26:23). As always, God says things way better than I ever could. He paints an incredible word picture here that I want to apply to my life today, and I hope you will want to apply to your heart as well. The idea of covering an earthen vessel that is made of the mud of the earth with silver seems foolish. However, this is exactly what happens when we try to appear to be something or someone we are not.
This picture reminds me of what Jesus called the Pharisees in the New Testament. These were people that tried to pass themselves off as religious, or pious, or better than the common sinner that might come into the synagogue. Jesus at one time called them “whited sepulchers.” In my list of jobs I have done in my life, I helped a funeral home for a few years. In that time working with them, I have seen some beautiful caskets. I have seen beautiful and expensive wooden caskets all the way to the shiniest gold and silver looking caskets. The reality is that it doesn’t matter if it is a pine box, or the most expensive casket in the world, it is still going to house dead bones!
We are very aware of what we can do to appear as though we are spiritual and a good person. The reality is that within each of us is nothing more than an old clay pot! We are just made of the dust of the earth and we are no better than that! Rather than try to fool others, I think it would be better for us to realize our weakness, and allow God to do His work in us. The truth is that we are not the ones that generate anything that is good in our lives. If anything is going to come out of our life and testimony, it will be because God does a work through an old clay pot!
I am hopeful that God can take something from this old clay pot and make something beautiful today. I know who I am, and you know who you are. I’m not talking about what others think of me or you; I am talking about what I know and God knows about me. I want to yield whatever I have to Him today, and allow Him the freedom to do whatever He wants with me all day long. I don’t see much potential in me. He sees what can be done if I will turn over the controls. I want to take my hands off my life, and allow Him to take over. I thank God that the Holy Spirit of God now lives in this clay pot, and He can do amazing things if I will get out of His way!