Broken But Useful

Scriptures: If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (Philippians 2:1-2)

I once heard a story about a man who lives in a village not too far from the river. Everyday, he would have to carry two buckets to the river to get some water for home use. After a while, one of the buckets broke and started to leak. Every time when this man carried water home, there’s only one tenth of the water left in the bucket.

This situation went on for a while and this bucket felt that it was doing its job. So, this bucket said to its master, “I am a broken bucket now and no longer serve your purpose. Please replace me with a newer and better bucket.” But the master replied, “I know you are broken. That was why I planted so many flowers along the path I take to get water. I used the water that leaked from you to water these flowers. Look at these flowers. Aren’t they beautiful?”

In life, sometimes, we will feel the same way that broken bucket did. We don’t feel worthy of serving our master because of our spiritual condition. We don’t know bible as well as others do; we are not good listeners as others are; we do not have great administrative skills as others do; and the list goes on. Our enemy loves to use this type of thoughts to belittle us and keep us away from serving our Lord and His loved ones.

But God knows us. He knew us long before we even realize we exist. Just like prophet Jeremiah, the Lord said to him, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) He is our Creator. He knows each of us and has a plan and purpose for all of us.

If He has a plan and purposes for us in life, then nothing in our lives is a surprise to Him. If we care to observe and think, it should not be too hard find His fingerprints. Paul exhorted Christians in Philippi that they should share “any encouragements from being united with Christ”, “any comfort for His love”, “any fellowship with the Spirit”, and “any tenderness and compassion.”

So, as imperfect as we are, God does have in place encouragements, comfort, and fellowship for us because we are united with Christ. His desire is that our “attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5) And, when our attitudes are the same as that of Christ Jesus, people around us will be able to see Jesus through us, be touched by Jesus through us, be comforted by Jesus through us, and be reconciled to God and to others by Jesus through us.

Along this path we call heaven-ward journey God has planted many flowers, waiting to be watered. We are the vessels, broken but useful. If only we are willing to surrender to His leading and willing to share, like that broken bucket, our path will be filled with beautiful flowers.

So, do you have any encouragement from being united with Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship with the Spirit? Any tenderness and compassion? May God help us to share so we all may be blessed and be made like-minded, one in spirit and purpose!

Prayer Requests:
For those who feel unworthy to serve

Prayer:
Father, thank You for loving us and for planting flowers along the path You have for us. Please help us to be bold in sharing Your works, touches and encouragements so we all may learn to be like-minded, like our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!