As I watched this Ma-ke (pronounced “Mah-gay,” meaning “Mother” In Siswati) at work, and the mud swirls peel off, gently, slowly, like circular staircases, I felt a physical sensation–as if God Himself were shaving off parts of me.
As I gazed upon this beautiful process, He led my eyes from the vessel to the mud swirls tossed to the sides of the potter’s wheel.
At once, I saw that-To make a beautiful vessel, He has to shave off excess.
If there was one thing I noticed the presence of in Africa- it was more time. Suddenly, without my life moving at a hundred miles per hour, I could think, write, pray more. God arrested me to see how a life shaved of excess could be lived- simply, wholeheartedly.
Why should it have taken a deployment to Africa for this reset?
I am learning- how important it is for us to let the Potter shave off the excess in our lives. Doing more, does not make us more.
Sometimes, to be more, we have to do less.
Are there areas in your life He needs to shave off? At work. In ministry. Time on social media.
It might seem impossible to do less. How can I as a working mother/student/breadwinner/pastor/fill-in-the-blank? How can I say no? Everything demands more, more, more of me.
Yet, how the fear of God struck me as I saw the fragility of clay in Ma-ke’s hands. One little press would ruin it. Make it unfit for any use.
Today, would you yield yourself to His work, and allow yourself to be pliable, mouldable, usable? Can we surrender to let Him decide what needs shaving off?
It’s so hard.
But only then, perhaps, can we be the jars of clay, faithful to hold our immeasurable treasure- Christ Himself.