To Be Silver, Not Clay

"In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive materials are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for His purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work." - II Timothy 2:20-21

I was reading this passage from the Bible a couple of weeks ago and it has really stuck with me. Ordinary, inexpensive items are useful things. We make use of them to carry sticks of kindling to the fireplace or to toss a salad or to stand on when we need to reach a high shelf. Nothing wrong with that. They have a place and a utility, but they aren't anything notable or particularly valued.

On the other hand, some other items are not only useful but also can be a source of pride. I remember that when I was a child, my family had a set of "gold" flatware. We owned at least two other sets of flatware but they were the "every day" spoons, knives, forks and serving utensils. The every day stuff worked just as well as the goldware but when we had company or it was a special occasion, out came the nice stuff.

In my life, both professional and personal, I want to be pure so that I can be used by God whenever and however He chooses. Most of the time, I feel more like a dirty, clay pot. He can use me to water the garden or hold some flowers, but I'm nothing special. My desire isn't (I hope) from selfish motives or selfish pride, but rather to be as worthy as possible, so that God can take pride in me, as he did Job. I'm flawed and I accept and celebrate God's forgiveness. I'd like to live a life, though, that is as pure as possible. I can only do it with His help.