Society is slightly obsessed with looking good. Beauty is all over
Hollywood, beauty is prized and highly esteemed and is something sought
after! It's the age of beauty creams promising you will look 10 years
younger in a few weeks time, the age of facelifts, bodywraps, tummy tucks,
botox - yes you can have it all!
So when you look in the mirror, what do you see? What do you see
in yourself? We often see our imperfections, the things we want to change
about ourselves. We are aiming for perfection but always fall
short...........outward beauty has it's place, however if the mirror were to show the inside of us, would it be a beautiful image staring back?
The bible talks about the potter and the clay; the clay is an analogy of us as people and the potter is God himself. God's not after our accomplishments or our outward beauty, God is looking for our hearts. God has formed the clay
but are we willing for Him to mould our hearts into something more beautiful than we ever could be in ourselves. It's a humbling thing to do, as it means letting go of
all we think we are and letting God do his transforming work.
All those
lumps and bumps in our character can be made smooth, all those scars from hurts
from the past and all those imperfections we dislike in ourselves can be made new. Change can be hard because it means letting go of our status quo, but God
can truly give us happiness when we let him into our lives and change us!
He can do amazing work on our hearts, not abruptly, but gently and with care.
A lump of clay is not very pretty and not really useful, and even if you feel
broken, let God form you again into something beautiful, something usable and
something you never thought you could be!
Bible Reading: Jer 18 3-5 So I went down to the
potter’s house and saw him working with clay at the wheel. He was making a pot from clay. With his hands he shaped the pot the way he wanted it to be (something beautiful). Then this message from the Lord came to me you know that I can do the same thing with you. You are like the clay in the potters hand, and I am the potter.
Isaiah 64 v 8 - Yet you, LORD, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand.
We can often get into a habit of looking at other people and seeing their accomplishments as something amazing, but forget to value our own successes. I've seen many of my friends accomplish some great things but I've also seen the journey it took for them to get there! The journey was often hard, long and a lot smaller than where they are today.
Just because something
starts small doesn't mean it will stay small, but it often depends if someone
is willing to persevere through the hard, through the long and through
the small in order to reach the big.
We live in a world today where a lot of people want instant fame and fortune but without any effort. X-factor, for instance, promotes the instant ticket to fame without the long road of working hard for it. For some artists it's taken them years of commitment to become remotely famous.
Just like a tiny seed, small things need time to grow and develop. When I first started playing the piano it was honestly like pulling teeth. It was difficult, it was a very long process and it has taken many years of playing to get to where I am now (and I am no where near professional yet)! It's not something you can get instantly, but only by a constant perseverance. If I would have despised the day of my small, there's no way I would be where I am today. Think of a child learning to read, it takes time and patience; parents often need a lot of patience when it comes to their child's learning.
I just wanted to encourage those may be starting out on a venture, whether it be business, family, church, friends, music, not to despise the day of small beginnings, but as you grasp the reins with commitment, your small will grow and grow into something amazing!
Everyone wants to be part of the BIG and not the SMALL and everyone wants to associate with the SUCCESSFUL, but may I ask the most important question of all........will we be people that will pioneer through the small in order for others to enjoy the big? - Now that takes staying power and commitment!
As I was praying recently, I felt this may be a word of encouragement for someone.......As you look at your current situation, all you can see is a forest of trees. You are unable to see a way forward & it looks difficult. But God wants you to know that even though you can't see and your options seem small, there is something amazing beyond the trees. Keep moving forward and He will eventually lead you into a spacious place filled with good things.
Remember the smallest of seeds can eventually grow into the largest of trees!
Lv Caroline x
Bible Readings:
Zech 4v10 - Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.
Psalm 18v19 - He brought me out into a spacious place.
