The Vessel of God

  

DEVOTION

THE 1^ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS

 THE VESSEL OF GOD

1 Cor 7:17-24

17 Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 20 Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you — although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

NIV

Although this is mostly about circumcision and slavery, there is a root truth that can be applied to all of us. This is to be who we are as God created us to be and to be true to the calling God has placed in our lives. We cannot be someone else or someone of something that we are not. If we endeavor to become like somebody else, it could be seen as being envious of others and wanting to be like them, either in their status in life or their position in the body of Christ. We are who we are, and we should be excited to be who we are for we were called by God as we are for the expressed reason of being a part of his kingdom and being able to be used by Him just as we are. Now, does that mean God does not want us to change? Not at all, we are to grow in our relationship with Him and become more like Christ in our daily walk. But as far as our personality, and our position in life, it is according to the plan of God. Yes, we are all different in a sense, but we are also all the same in that we all are slaves of Christ. However, Paul is very clear that each one of us is responsible to God and should remain in the situation God called us to. Again, envy, jealousy, bitterness, and even greed are the result of being discontent with the calling God has on our lives and the place in the body of Christ that he has called us to be. This also should be a stop to pridefulness, or lording our position in life over others, if God has called us to be in certain positions that seem more impressive than other positions. There is no doubt there are different levels within our society. There are levels of income, education, and perhaps birth status. Some people are born into a prominent family, while others are born into families of poverty. This is what Paul is talking about when he makes that comparison between the circumcised versus the uncircumcised and the freeman and the slave. All of us, no matter who we are or where we came from, have been bought with the same price, and therefore are all the same in the eyes of God. Because we are in Christ, we have all been given the right to be called the children of God, and we all must become overcomers, leaving behind the way of darkness and death and entering into the life of light and life. Each of us who overcome will inherit the exact same thing, eternal life in the presence of our Lord. We recall that Jesus told us that whoever wants to be great in the kingdom must be the servant of others. Paul does say that we would not be servants of men, but rather of God, however, that is referring to living as servants to the way of the world, serving the things the world has to offer, which is nothing more than sin and death. So let us serve God as God has called us to serve. Let us be the person of God, the vessel that God, the potter, has made us to be.