Keeping the Vessel Clean - Martin Wiles

If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 NLT

Keeping silver clean is no easy job.

As one-time antique dealers—and as recipients of my mother’s silver--my wife and I know a little about silver. One, it’s valuable, and two, keeping it clean is challenging. Before my mother gave us her silver flatware set, she would sit for hours, shining each piece until she could see her reflection in the forks, spoons, and butter knives. Then she separated the various utensils and placed them in a plastic bag where air could not touch them. So far, we have kept them in the same zip lock bags she placed them in. We know if we expose the set to air, we’ll soon have to repeat what she did before she gave them to us.

We’ve also owned silver tea sets, which we displayed on antique buffets. When shined, they made an attractive addition to our antique furniture. But after a short period, tarnish crept over each piece. We either had to polish them and put them away or leave them out and shine them every few months. Leaving them out and tarnished wasn’t a choice. Doing so ruined the look of our décor.

God requires purity to use us. Exposing silver to air means it will turn and eventually require cleaning. Living in the world exposes us to sin, whether we want it to or not. Even monks and nuns who withdraw from everyday life and environments still face the inner pull of sin. Cleaning silver can be challenging. So can keeping ourselves pure and holy.

Maintaining purity is easier when we recognize that we possess an inner power that enables us to be successful—the Spirit of God within us. Holiness is not something we can accomplish on our own, but it is possible when we allow God to perform it in us.

Just as silver exposed to air requires regular cleaning, so does maintaining holiness. If we neglect tending to holy living, the tarnish of sin will take over. But if we spend time in spiritual disciplines and make obeying God’s commands a priority, our vessels will remain pure.

Do whatever it takes to keep your vessel clean.

Father, I depend on your Spirit’s power to help me keep my vessel pure so I can be ready to be used by you. 

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Choosing the Important - Martin Wiles

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 NLT

He examined piece after piece with his magnifying glass, and each time he shook his head.

My wife and I thought we had acquired treasure. Our neighbor had brought us a bunch of items from an employer who cleaned out some things from their house. Among them, was what appeared to be silver. Since we needed extra money, we called a local antique dealer who buys silver and asked if we could come down for an appraisal.

We loaded our silver in a large box and headed out for our appointed time. As he sat behind his jewelry case, I handed him piece by piece. He looked through his magnifying glass, making sure what we offered was actually silver.

“Silver-plated,” he said and handed one piece after another back to me. As the box emptied, our hopes did too. Out of all we had brought him, only a small fork and a small spoon were silver—not enough for him to make an offer.

What we thought held value didn’t. Instead, we sold it several pieces at a time to those who didn’t care whether or not it was real silver.

The same has been true in my life. Times arose when I thought certain things were important: Levi jeans, Converse tennis shoes. Whatever the name brand was all my friends wore. But since Mom and Dad couldn’t usually afford name brands, I learned brand names weren’t so important after all. I got along fine without them, and the experience taught me a little about priorities.

Micah condenses life’s most important things for us: do right, love mercy, and walk humbly before God. A mix that’s certain to make our lives easier and more peaceful—whether or not doing so follows the norm or what’s popular.

Doing the right thing is never wrong … although it may be inconvenient or misunderstood. Loving mercy and then showing mercy to others will never lead us in the wrong direction. And humility—recognizing I’m nothing without God but can do all things with Him—will give me a proper perspective on everything else in life.

Our silver disappointed us, but loving others, showing them mercy, and living humbly never will. Choose to choose the most important things in life, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

Prayer: Father, give us the wisdom to choose the things that You value.

Tweetable: Are the things you choose important? 

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Keeping the Vessel Clean - Martin Wiles

If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. 2 Timothy 2:21 NLT

Keeping silver clean is no easy job.

As one-time antique dealers—and as recipients of my mother’s silver, my wife and I know a little about silver. One, it’s valuable, and two, it’s difficult to keep clean. 

Before my mother gave us her silver flatware set, she sat for hours shining each piece until she could see her reflection in the forks, spoons, and butter knives. Then she separated the various utensils and placed them in a plastic bag where air could not touch them. 

So far, we have kept them in the same zip lock bags she placed them in. We know if we expose the set to air, we’ll soon have to repeat what she did before she gave them to us. 

We’ve also owned silver tea sets which we displayed on antique buffets. When shined, they made an attractive addition to our antique furniture. But after a short period of time, tarnish crept over each piece. We either had to polish them and put them away or leave them out and shine them every few months. Leaving them out and tarnished wasn’t a choice. Doing so ruined the looks of our décor. 

Being used by God requires purity. Exposing silver to air means it will turn and eventually require cleaning. Living in the world exposes me to sin whether I want it to or not. Even monks and nuns who withdraw from normal life and environments still face the inner pull of sin. Cleaning silver can be challenging. So can keeping myself pure and holy. 

Keeping myself pure is made easier by realizing I have an inner power enabling me to be successful—the resident Spirit of God. Holiness is not something I can accomplish on my own but is possible when I allow God to accomplish it in me. 

Just as silver exposed to air requires regular cleaning, so does maintaining holiness. If I neglect holy living, the tarnish of sin will take over. But if I spend time in spiritual disciplines and keep obeying God’s commands at the top of my list, my vessel will remain pure. 

Do whatever it takes to keep your vessel clean. 

Prayer: Father, we depend on Your Spirit’s power to help us keep our vessels pure so we can be ready to be used by You. 

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