A couple of months ago, I broke down and bought a new vacuum cleaner. With a family of seven, including our dog Pearl, it's hard not to wear out vacuum cleaners, washing machines and dryers. So off to Walmart I go in search of the perfect vacuum cleaner. Imagine my delight when I saw what I believed to be the perfect vacuum cleaner...equipped with all the pet specific attachments and the price was even better...it was exactly what I was looking for. When I got home, immediately unpackaged the vacuum and began to assemble it. It was like Christmas morning in the eye's of a child....I was filled with so much excitement. After about twenty minutes, I was heartbroken...the attachments were complicated, the suction was less than productive and the hose was a shorty...seriously, I had to pick-up the entire upright vacuum cleaner just to vacuum around the window sill. It was no use to me.
While reading Romans this morning, I wondered how many times I have been like that vacuum cleaner. I looked as though I had great potential to God, only for Him to discover that I had too much of myself in the way. My mama constantly reminds me that in order for God to fully work in your life, you must remove your yourself from the situation and let Him work. Unless Christ is allowed to have His way in me, then I am as useless as that vacuum cleaner. When we give ourselves to Christ, he reshapes us as He sees best. Through baptism, He removes those impurities and then begins to reshape us like clay...He is the potter ya know. He begins to build me from the inside out. My strengthen comes from within. Constantly working on my relationship with Him, increases my strengthen and my ability to expand my usefulness when needed. When He is satisfied with His work, He puts me into the fire. He knows exactly how long it will take and the right temperature to make me into His useful vessel. It is a gradual process but one that will stand any test that He puts me in. It is my prayer that the next time He puts me into the fire, I remember to be a vessel of mercy and glorify Him.
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