Vessels of Transformation

This is the picture of our world today; kidnapping has become a lucrative business venture. Sexual perversion is tolerated and even fought for. Terrorism has taken deep roots globally. Corruption is seen in all spheres of life such that it appears like nothing can be approved or accomplished without paying someone a bribe. Christians are being mercilessly persecuted and put to death in the most gruesome way. One vehicle accident, plane crash, or report of wanton loss of innocent lives is usually the Breaking News for the day.  Prices of virtually every good and service has skyrocketed. People can hardly pay their bills; families and businesses are finding it extremely hard to live and make it under this harsh economy.

God isn’t going to come down physically to address or attend to the burning and pressing issues in our world today. It is you and I He will use to address these issues. When God wants to bring about a change in a situation, family or nation, God doesn’t step down from heaven to bring about this change. He uses people. The reason why God brought us to this earth is because He has a special assignment for us. There is a unique contribution God wants you to make; there is a special role God wants you to play in your family, church, nation and world at large.

What we desperately need today are problem solvers not problem analysts. A problem analyst examines a problem, identifies the cause of the problem and can give a detailed breakdown of the extent and causes of the problem, but that’s where it ends. He doesn’t do anything at all to change or solve the problems he identifies. The world today is full of problem analysts. But what the world needs today are problem solvers. What good does it do to any organization, people, or family if you critically analyze all their problems and then leave them as they are; you don’t do anything to solve their problems, lighten the load they are carrying, or make things better for them?

In Nehemiah 2:11-16, Nehemiah took time to analyze the problem, to see the extent of the damage done to the walls of Jerusalem, but he didn’t end there. In verse 17-20, he came up with a plan of action to solve the problem, to change the situation. Nehemiah got involved in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem and there was change and restoration for the people. Being a problem solver means getting involved. It means being ready to do anything with your hands, time, knowledge, gifts, abilities, skills and money that can bring about growth, improve the situation on ground, or make life better for somebody.  

God wants every one of us to be problem solvers and change makers. This is why we are called the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16). The first thing you notice about salt even before you use it or taste it is its white colour. The first step to being a problem solver, agent of change or vessel of divine transformation, is that we must deal with our character. How can a person effectively address the immorality in society today if the person is also engaging in immoral sexual practices? As the salt of the earth, we must not lose our saltiness, we must not lose that white colour; we must live pure and holy lives before our God. 2 Timothy 2:21 tells us that our lives need to be cleansed and purged of sin in order to become vessels of honour. By emptying our lives of sin, we become fit for the Master’s use; we become special and honourable vessels God can use to address some of the problems in our society today.

A vessel is simply a container. To be vessels of transformation in the hands of our Maker, our vessels must be filled with those things that can brighten somebody’s day and life; those things that add value to people’s lives. We can’t afford to fill our vessels with sin which weakens and contaminates us, when we are the vessels God wants to use for His work here on earth; when we are the ones He is expecting to offer a helping hand to the person facing a financial crisis, pray prayers that will activate a revival, and speak against the corruption, injustice and immorality in the land. We are vessels specially crafted by God to carry His anointing (Isaiah 61:1-3). It is with God’s anointing that He gives beauty for ashes, turns mourning to rejoicing and gives hope to the hopeless. Whenever the anointing of God is at work, God is doing powerful things in people’s lives. But the anointing must work through a vessel. You don’t need to be a living Bible concordance or be able to pray three hours at a stretch before God can fill you with His anointing. You just need to make your vessel, your life available for God to fill you to overflowing with His anointing. If there’s a problem somewhere and God needs someone to send to urgently attend to the problem, would you be the first person He would pick or would you be the last person He would call or would you be the person He won’t even bother to go to knowing you would always have an excuse for Him?

There are problems everywhere but there are also solutions to those problems everywhere. You and I are part of the solution. We just need to keep our vessels clean and available so that through us, God is able to put smiles on people’s faces.

PHOTO CREDIT: creationswap