So called “humility” in the Christian community is really a mask for “pitiful me” pride. The “self deprecating personality” is often an artificiality of the worst kind. “Oh, it wasn’t me, it was God” is often used as an opportunity for the speaker to compliment me again.

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled. “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?”

“That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to embrace who God made you to be and how He wants to use you, warts and all.

So, to all of my “crack pot” friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Self loathing, Satan, and critical Christians often attack especially pastors with similar feelings, thoughts, and accusations of “I’m a failure.” That just isn’t true, and as our friend Steve says, “That’s from the pit of hell and smells like smoke.” You and your weaknesses/inabilities are part of your wonderful uniqueness so that Christ will be revealed in and through you. And, get this, you are filling a place in the universe and history that only you were designed to fill. Go with the peace, grace, and new “obsession” that you are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”

 Email This Post This entry was posted on Monday, August 30th, 2010 at 1:37 pm and is filed under Lea Clower, Read. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.