20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.
Paul uses the picture of jars common to ancient households. Some were expensive and had high and lofty purposes. Others were common, used for disposing of excrement. Both types of jars were important. All kinds were needed to run a household. We have the choice to not be one of those jars that gets used to carry excrement. We can choose to allow God to clean us up and use us for high and lofty things. Notice that the text says “cleanses himself” from those ignoble tasks. We have a responsibility to yield to the work of the Spirit in our lives. We have the responsibility to stop acting in ways that dishonor the Lord. We need to choose to be obedient to His will. We have a responsibility in this process. We are not empty puppets with the Lord manipulating our every movement. We are creatures created in God’s image. We choose to honor Him and obey Him. It is an active bending of our will to His will. We actively participate with His work in our lives and in the world. When we do that we become something we were not before. We become capable of noble purposes. We turn into one of the honored jars. We are ready for whatever task the Lord has for us. We cleanse ourselves and He makes us holy and useful. When was the last time you chose to obey rather than disobey? When was the last time you actively yielded to His leading? Well, today is a new day. Begin right now with a prayer of repentance. Then spend some time in the Word. Then be ready to hear His voice leading you. Give it a shot!
The Arnold Journey 