A WATER BEARER in China had two large pots, each hung on the end of a pole that he carried across his 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 a long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack is in my side, it causes water to leak out all the way to your house.”
The bearer said to the cracked pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day when we walk back to my house, you’ve watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace my house.”
THOUGHT: Each of us has our own flaws, cracks, and imperfections. We’re all cracked pots. The measure of our ability to lead others to Christ is not based upon our accomplishments or achievements, but on what the Lord has done, and can do, through the Word and us. We are made perfect through our weaknesses. God is capable of providing all of the resources we need to complete the task He asks us to do (Philippians 1.6). Scott G. Wilkins, “New Beginnings to Some Old Endings,” REACH – A Team Approach to Evangelism and Assimilation, 99-100
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” 1 Corinthians 3.6; cf. 2 Corinthians 4.7
Mike Benson