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When I was a boy, growing up in India, I often went to a
potter’s house near my high school. I was fascinated to
watch him make clay vessels. During those visits, I never
saw the potter take a hardened lump of clay and put it on his wheel to
make something out of it. He, just like every other potter in the world,
used only soft and tender clay to work with. So does God!
The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is like a potter and His
people are the clay He wants to form into a beautiful vessel. In order to
accomplish this, God looks for soft and pliable hearts.
Man measures the quality and usefulness of a person by his
education, ability and expertise. Yet God determines his true value by
the condition of his heart: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but
the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16: 7).
What Happens if the Clay Is Hard?
If the clay is hard, the potter will spend days pouring water on it and
pounding it thoroughly until it becomes soft. It took God 20 long years
of “pouring and pounding” until Jacob’s heart became soft enough.
Moses needed 40 years of desert life to become the meekest man on
earth (Numbers 12: 3) who could lead Israel out of Egypt.
The Bible warns us not to harden our hearts: “Today, if you will hear
His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3: 15).
It is possible for us as believers to have a tender heart for a season,
but then when God speaks to us about an issue, to choose not to
humble ourselves but rather to harden our hearts. This is not a good
place for us to be, because the Bible declares: “God resists the proud, but
gives grace to the humble” (James 4: 6).
The Lord will not just let us go. He will allow circumstances to pound
us so our hearts will once again become soft and pliable. The people of
Israel are the perfect example of this. Just think of how many times
God allowed them to face famines, hardships, oppression, defeat and
captivity in order to soften their hearts and help them return to Him!
What Causes Our Hearts to Become Hard?
Being poisoned by negative talk. One person in a church or ministry is
dissatis ed, bitter, critical and unwilling to change. He starts to talk
negatively and poisons others. Soon the atmosphere of love among
the brothers and sisters is replaced by disunity, anger and hardness of
heart toward each other and the Lord.
An elevated view of ourselves. We feel important because we do
something signi cant for God’s Kingdom, and we don’t recognize that
our heart is lled with pride, arrogance and an exalted view of
ourselves. Often the symptoms don’t show up until years later when
our heart is no longer soft in the Potter’s hand.
Rebellion. Any form of rebellion is like a tiny seed that, if not dealt
with, will grow and eventually harden our heart and bring destruction.
It begins with a tiny issue or a thought like this one: “Who does he
think he is to tell me what to do? My life is none of his business!”—and
it ultimately ends in death.
What Should We Do
to Keep Our Hearts Soft?
Don’t take God’s grace for
granted. Grace is given to those
who are humble, not to those
whoarerightorfeelindispensable.
Watch over your heart (Proverbs 4: 23).
Don”tkeepcompany withthose whospread
negative talk, sowdisunity or have a rebelliousspirit. Love them and
pray for them, but have no part with them. Believe me, you and I are
not strong enough to withstand the poison they spread. It’s in the
atmosphere, and we breathe it in whether we intend to or not.
Submit to one another (Ephesians 5: 21). Don’t ght for your rights. Be
willing to give up something. Learn to let it be.
Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should (Romans 12: 3).
Remember that all the gifts, talents and ministry you have are given to
you by the Lord. Nothing is of yourself. It’s all God’s grace.
Be careful from whom you receive your counsel. That’s especially
important when you are disappointed because your expectations are
not met. Don’t go to a brother or sister who is not mature in the Lord
and who sympathizes and agrees with your complaints and tears.
Instead, go to someone who is mature and who can help you see the
hand of God and His purpose behind the things you face.
Repent and run to the cross. If need be, do this a thousand times a
day to maintain the tenderness of your heart. Whenever you seek the
limelight, want to take credit, get hurt or when your expectations are
not ful lled and your plans don’t work out, don’t ght; go to the cross.
God always seeks to do one thing with us on the Potter’s wheel—
not to make us more powerful and famous, but to make us more like
His Son, the Lord Jesus.
K.P. Yohannan is founder and president of Gospel for Asia.
Visit www.gfa.org/5minutes to read more “Five Minutes
with K. P.” articles.
