An elderly woman who lived in a third world country would walk every day to a stream to provide her family with fresh water. She carried a pot on each end of a long pole across her shoulders.
One of the pots had a deep crack in it causing water to slowly leak out as she returned home. At the end of the long walk the cracked pot was never as full as the other as it had leaked on the way back every single day. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and disappointed in its performance.
One day at the stream the cracked pot spoke to the woman saying, “I am ashamed. This crack in my side causes water to leak out. My imperfection hinders your work.”
The woman smiled and replied, “I’ve always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day, when walked back from the stream, you watered those seeds and helped them to grow. I’ve been able to use those flowers to decorate the table and give to neighbors and friends expressing beauty and grace.”
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots.
We are broken people in the hands of a loving God learning to sacrificially embracing a purpose bigger than our own purposes. Your weakness is actually what drives you into a deeper reliance upon God.
Matthew 16:16-24 Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." 20 Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ. 21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." 23 But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." 24 Then Jesus told his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ESV
The name "Simon" in verse 17 means, "hearer” and "a wavering reed" speaking of being wishy washy depending on what he’s listening to. The name "Simon" can also mean, "sand-like."
Peter was unstable, solid and off all in the same chapter. Jesus had the ability to see a man who was unstable, celebrate him when he’s solid, but also discern him when he was off.
All of us can be unstable, solid and off all in the same chapter of life and it never disqualifies us from being used mightily by God if we keep drawing close to Him!
It’s good for us to see Elijah could be powerful enough to bring down fire from heaven under God’s mighty hand and then come down off that mountain scared to death.
It’s good for us to see David could be powerful enough to kill Goliath and take over the kingdom conquering armies & nations and fall into a place of weakness to lustful sin.
Job goes back and forth and back and forth as he navigates through all the emotions associated with his struggles:
· “I curse the day I was born”
· “To God belong wisdom & power!”
· “I hate my very life”
· “I am not silenced by darkness that covers my face”
· “God has devastated my entire household”
· “To God belong strength & victory”
The name "Simon" can also mean, "sand-like." Interestingly Matthew 7 & Luke 6 tell of Jesus explaining one who hears God’s Word and puts them into practice moving from building on sand to building on rock!
A wishy-washy follower says, “You are the anointed king, the Son of the living God with the authority of heaven on earth.” You might expect the king to respond: That’s what I wanted to hear. You finally understand I have the keys to unlock my Father’s reign here on earth for you all!
But instead Jesus says something like this: At last! One human recognizes who my Father says I am! Now that you have an understanding of the authority I hold, I’ll give it to you. I give you my keys that lock and unlock my Kingdom on earth.
Hell has gates. Heaven has keys. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ in the earth with power and authority to push back the gates of hell!
If we don't devote ourselves to eternal purposes of God we confine ourselves to a temporal, self-serving existence. We were born for more than that.
We are broken people in the hands of a loving God sacrificially embracing a purpose bigger than our own as we learn to listen to Him.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Pursue the stability that comes from consistency in God’s Word this week. #TurnThePage
Discussion Guide for Community Leaders
Click here for a downloadable pdf file of this guide.
UNDERSTANDING THE SEASON: We are growing in the understanding that our weakness is not what keeps us from the purposes of God. Our weakness is what drives us into deeper reliance upon Him.
2 Cor 12:9-10 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. NIV
We want to start our group meetings making room for conversation that brings confirmation that God is speaking to us all as we discuss what we are hearing from the Lord as a family:
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. Where are you reading in your Bible and what are you sensing from God?
2. Share a time when you truly felt you were loved by God.
3. Have you ever gone from having an amazing experience with God to soon thereafter making a dumb mistake? How did that make you feel?
We are loved by God just as much when we make mistakes as we are when we are living well. Jesus had this conversation with Peter where he affirmed and rebuked him in the same chapter of life.
Matthew 16:15-23 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal {this} to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it… 22 And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid {it,} Lord! This shall never happen to You.” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.” (NAS)
All of us can be unstable, solid as a rock and off all in the same chapter of life. Jesus never gives up on us no matter what. It’s good for us to read of Job the conflicting statements he tends to make in the book of Job:
• “I curse the day I was born” “To God belong wisdom & power!”
• “I hate my very life”
• “I am not silenced by darkness that covers my face”
• “God has devastated my entire household”
• “To God belong strength & victory”
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
4. How does it make you feel to hear just how human these great men and women of God can be?
Most people feel validated and encouraged to know others who make mistakes or have the wrong attitude at times can still be used by God. Since we benefit from seeing these mistakes perhaps it would serve those around us better if we were more transparent about the struggles in our lives.
We Bring GP2RL Action Point:
Pursue the stability that comes from consistency in God’s Word this week. #TurnThePage