Dusty Clay Vase
Comparison: we try, and we try not to succumb to it, but in a social media-driven world, it almost seems impossible. A major inferiority complex begins to seep in the instant we take our eyes off of our own “spiritual grind” and place them on what everyone else is doing for The Kingdom. At times it seems extremely difficult: watching peers fall in love, create families, begin careers, and pursue after the Things of God as a family unit. The longer I began to dwell on it, the more useless I felt. In prayer one evening at an altar surrounded by fellow worshippers, I whispered through sobs, "Lord, I am exhausted. I'm tired of seeing everyone around me continue to be blessed while I continue to strive to be the best I can be for You with seemingly no result or reward. I feel like a dusty clay vase on the top shelf. Years, these prime years where I can be the most effective for You, are wasting away as I try to cultivate the perfect routine. This type one personality, the perfection-oriented brain You have given me, is trying to figure out why she was skipped over when You were handing out Happily Ever Afters in life. Lord, I am desperate for Your attention and for Your blessings.” The quietest whisper seeped into my soul and explained, "The beauty with clay is, it is timeless, and it can always be remolded by The Potter's hand."
Our timeline will never match the timeframe of The Creator. The end, the beginning, past, present, and future are all terms and measurements to wrap our finite minds around the concept of time. You may think the thing you deserve is running late. You may feel like something is overwhelming and may be happening to you prematurely. Two things are for certain: 1. God is faithful, and He will equip you with the necessary tools you need to make it through each storm of life. 2. All things work together for your good. So fellow children of The Lord, we are double blessed! If all things are working together for our good, that means the bad things are strengthing us for our good (our well-being), and the good things are strengthening us for our good (motivation to carry on).
Comparison will erode the mind and discourage the soul. Every single person with a social media platform presents the best of their life's highlights. It can seem exhausting to try to keep up, but the great news is, what you set before your eyes is an intentional choice. The instant you take a step toward your best spiritual life is the moment God can place you back on The Potter's Wheel and take you from that idle, dusty, clay vase and mold you into the willing vessel He needs for your next phase of spiritual growth. Take your eyes off of mindlessly scrolling screens, plug your ears from embellishment, gossip, and fake news. Take the tight death-grip off your “own” life and allow God to peel away some things that might be uncomfortable at first. Allow God to add some characteristics you never knew you needed. Trust Him with whole-hearted confidence and thrive in amazement as your best spiritual life falls into place.
