Mrs Laura Faulk
Pastor's Wife
First Baptist Church
Groton, MA
An Honorable Vessel for the Lord (a lesson from my teapot).
Recently I was sitting at my dining room table, writing out my Scripture verses for the day. As I sat there with my Bible, I glanced at my tea set which sits on a buffet cabinet in my dining room. I stared and stared at that tea set. As I was looking at it, I was thinking about how special that tea set was to me – my Dad bought it in Germany for my grandmother before I was born. After my grandmother passed away, my father got the tea set back, and when he passed away, it was given to me. So the set actually has a lot of sentimental value to me.
I was told that my grandmother never used it, and when my dad got it back, it sat in his attic for 30 yrs! And I know he never used it! Then I thought, here I am setting it out on display but yet I haven’t used it either. Why, well, I could say that I’m afraid it will break (and that would break my heart). But why for almost 60 yrs has this teapot, cups, and saucers never been used?
I thought about how sad it is, that this beautiful tea set is not being used for the reason it was intended. Yes, it’s pretty on my buffet, it’s valuable to me, and it has very special meaning, however; what good does that actually do the tea set? You might think – it’s just a tea set, what does it matter if it’s being used or not? It might not matter, in reality, to the tea set but think of the crafter who made this set – all the hours put into it. All the handiwork, all the meticulous decorating and painting. Do you think it matters to him? Do you think he spent all those hours and days and maybe months creating a beautiful vessel just to be stored in an attic or set on a shelf? Maybe, but somehow, I doubt it. When that craftsman, created my tea set, there was a distinct purpose for that set. If it didn’t matter would all the parts of the pot, fit together nicely and perfectly blended? It wouldn’t matter would it?
If you have a teapot at home that is stained with tea, perhaps has some dings or scratches on it, maybe it has a chip or crack – I believe it is a much happier teapot than mine! Why, because it is being used for the purpose it was intended.
So I focused on the teapot when this question came to mind, Am I prepared to serve as a vessel for the Lord?
IITim. 2:20-21, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
As I sat there looking at my teapot I noticed the different parts of it that make it necessary to allow the pot to serve its purpose.
1. The bowl (or vessel) is the basis, foundation, largest and most important part of the teapot. Without the vessel there would be no teapot. The purpose of the vessel is to hold the substance that we enjoy. It’s filled with delicious and beneficial tea. Its purpose is fulfilled when we allow it to hold the tea that it was made for.
Our lives as Christian women are to be vessels for Christ. If our teapot is never used, it is not fulfilling its purpose – it is only taking up space. Ask yourself, “Am I just taking up space?” or “Am I being used of God to fulfill His purpose for my life?” Hopefully you didn’t answer in your hearts that you are just taking up space – being a showcase as it were. We need to be honorable vessels for Christ fulfilling His purpose for our lives.
2. HANDLE – Communicating with God through Prayer and the Word of God
The handle on the teapot allows us to “handle” the pot safely and securely. The handle allows us to pick up the pot without burning our hands or hurting ourselves. It allows us to help the spout pour out the contents of the vessel in a smooth helpful way.
The Word of God allows us to hear from God. We need to hear from Him on a daily basis. The Word of God is the way God gives us His strength. When we communicate with God through prayer and His Word, He makes our lives run smoother. His words give us the strength we need to make sure our vessels are filled to the brim with His love for us. If you want to serve a delicious pot of tea, there are certain instructions you should follow. Some teas call for different temperature of water. If you don’t have the right water temperature, the tea won’t be as good. Sort of reminds me of our lives, what’s in the inside is very important. If we don’t follow God’s instructions properly and take care of our insides, our “flavor” might be sour or burnt. If you want your vessel to pour out sweet and refreshing blessings, then you need to follow God’s instruction manual. 2 Tim. 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
When we feel like our handle on life is about to break – stop, go to God, and give it to Him through prayer, and then read His book to hear from Him. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said this, “He who lives without prayer, he who lives with little prayer, he who seldom ready the Word, and he who seldom looks up to heaven for a fresh influence from on high – he will be the man whose heart will become dry and barren.”
We are only as strong as our prayer life! If we are not praying, our churches and homes will not be strong either. Our children will suffer, our husbands will struggle, and financial problems will be harder to wade through, all because WE don’t pray! Do you realize that it is an honor to pray! Think about it – you are able to be in communication with God!
“Prayer should be the key of the day and the lock of the night.”
3. SPOUT – WHAT POURS OUT OF YOUR TEAPOT (VESSEL)?
Does your spout pour out grace, love, kindness, forgiveness – teas that everyone will enjoy? Or does your spout pour out ugliness & sin, worldly desires, bad habits and all that goes against Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Are you refreshing to be around just like a freshly brewed cup of tea? The very act of serving tea brings to mind the word “grace”. Traditionally, afternoon tea is a graceful and refreshing act in the weariest part of the day. If you are filled with the Spirit of God, you will have His strength to help you pour out grace and love from your vessel. You will have a desire to be a blessing to others. How much do we really care for people, for their souls, their well- being? Does kindness pour out of your spout because you genuinely care for others? Does sharing the Gospel with others pour out of your spout easily?
We need to look at the world through the eyes of Christ and His Holy Spirit. Otherwise our vessels will pour out things that will hurt and damage others. Don’t let your teapot pour out anything that can be a hindrance of salvation to those who need Christ!
4. LID – PUT A LID ON IT
This is something we say in order to nicely tell someone to stop talking (clamp down on, silence, end). The saying became popular in the early 1900s.
Pr. 21:23 says, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.” Our mouths often get us in trouble. We say things we shouldn’t; speak up when we shouldn’t. A word spoken out of season can find us in a tight spot. This verse tells us if we’re able to keep or guard or control our tongues, we can keep ourselves out of a lot of trouble. Our mouths are so powerful that the Bible says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue”, Pr 18:21.
We have the ability to encourage or discourage someone with our tongue, we have the ability to build up or tear down. It all comes down to the choices we make. James 3:5 says, “Even so the tongue is a little
member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!” The tongue is a powerful member and we can’t control it by operating in our own strength. We need God’s help in keeping our tongue under control because we want to speak for those things that are consistent with the Word of God. We need to refrain ourselves from speaking defeat, from speaking discouragement to others and even into our own lives, but we cannot do that on our own. We MUST ask the Holy Spirit to help us control our tongues. We need to strive to let every word that comes out of our mouths be consistent with the Word of God, the way of God, and the will of GOD.
One of the most important choices in our daily lives is the choice we make with our mouths and tongue. I want to be a builder and encourager with my words. I want to use words that will edify and build. Col. 4:6 says, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” With the Holy Spirit’s help, we have the power to make a difference in someone’s life with our tongue.
In conclusion, 2 Tim. 2:20-21 again says, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
I’ve poured out some good cups of tea for us. I don’t want to go through life dripping out bitter tea that can leave a bad taste on others. And let’s face it; it’s so easy to do.
Just as tea stains, we also can stain so many lives with the bitter tea we bring to the world. We can melt people’s spirits. We can hurt feelings. We can discourage people. We can hinder them from serving Christ. We can even hinder someone’s salvation. All because of what flows from us. Or we can revive a saddened spirit, help heal a hurting heart, make someone’s day brighter, be an encouragement, and even prepare someone’s heart for salvation. And I certainly don’t want to go through life sitting on a shelf not serving the purpose for which the Lord made me. He made me in His image, He knew me before I was even born, He has a purpose for my life
and He wants me to fulfill that purpose.
I hope I’ll be more careful with what I allow to pour out of my life. When someone looks through the window and sees my teapot, I trust they will see Christ’s character reflecting through me and hope through you also!
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