Thursday, November 18, 2010

When God seems to treat us harshly

We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand (Isaiah 64:8).

People often wonder why God lets problems come into their lives. Of course, none of us can read God’s mind. But the following story offers one possible explanation.

A man was taking a tour of a famous pottery shop. As he looked into one of the workrooms, he saw something going on that puzzled him. The potter in the room was sitting next to a large mound of clay. Every now and then, he took a large mallet and smacked the lump of clay with it. Curious, the visitor asked "Why do you do that?’

The potter replied, "Wait a bit, sir, and watch it." So the visitor waited patiently, and soon he was surprised to see the lump of clay start moving. It heaved and trembled, and small bubbles formed on the surface. "Now, sir, you can see," the potter smiled. "I could never shape the clay into a vase if these air bubbles were in it. Therefore, I gradually beat them out."

We are like that lump of clay. We are filled with potential; God can make something wonderful out of us. But we are also filled with flaws that must be gotten rid of. We are weak because of arrogance; we are quick to assume that we are right and everyone else is wrong. We are weak because of selfishness; we look to our own interests instead of concerning ourselves with the needs of others. We are weak because of pride; we lose our temper when we think that others are not giving us the respect we deserve.

These are flaws that must be dealt with before God can make us into something useful and attractive. But our flaws are hard to drive out; they are deep-seated and we don’t like changing our ways. So there are times when we force God to use stinging blows as He works to improve us. He is only trying to force air bubbles out of stubborn clay, but we react with surprise and accuse Him of not treating us with love. At such times, it is important to remember what the book of Hebrews chapter twelve says: God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

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