"A common jar of clay can never become a noble masterpiece, unless it is broken by its master, refined in fire, and renewed." ? Sharif Khan
There is a passage in scriptures that I have always found troubling. It reads: "Shall what is formed say to Him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?" [Romans 9: 20-21]. It troubles me, because no matter how hard I try to live a nobler life, I look to the brilliant stars above me and wonder if my life has already been written 'for common use.'
Haven't we all wondered at times if we were destined for greatness or gloominess? Is our destiny sealed by a written fate or is our outer-world but a reflection of our inner-world determined by our thoughts and will? Can the common jar of clay become a noble masterpiece? Can the wild bush become a walnut tree?
History dictates that the common jar of clay will always remain a common jar of clay; it can never become a noble masterpiece on its own accord. Ancient relics that have been buried for thousands of centuries have remained relatively the same after being uncovered by archaeologists. Likewise, nature dictates that wild bush seed will always yield wild bush, and nothing else. The jar of clay, the wild bush, they cannot change because they have no will. If they do have a will, it is very weak, and so bound by their make. Or, depending on how you look at it, very strong, because they are determined to be who they were born to be. Either way you look at it, they cannot change because it is not in their nature ? they cannot think for themselves.
Humans on the other hand do have a will, and a much stronger one at that: we can choose to kill someone or save a life, we can study in our field of endeavor or choose a life of crime, we can work out to become an Olympic athlete, or we can pig out and eventually die of a heart attack. As humans, the big difference is that we all have the faculty of reasoning and can significantly change the environment around us.
Although many of us have heard numerous examples in life where people from complete poverty and everything working against them beat the odds to become great, we still, in our heart of hearts, skeptically ask ourselves the question, "Can a pauper become a prince?" Can we really, truly change our character? Intellectually, it would seem the answer is no. But my intuition tells me yes. Or is it the part of me that hopes and dreams and wishes, but always falls short, because it is just that - a dream, and nothing more? The part of me that marketers love to take advantage of: you too can become a bestselling author, an academy award winning actor, an Olympic athlete, if you take our program, pill or practice.
Yet we have seen paupers turn into princes have we not? Sidney Poitier, the legendary actor, grew up in extreme poverty to become a shining prince and take home an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in acting and filmmaking; John Steinbeck was a university drop out who worked as a sales clerk, farm laborer, ranch hand, and factory worker, and yet became a literary giant who won both the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize for Literature. Mother Teresa was a nun who taught at St. Mary's High School in Calcutta, but later experienced 'a call within a call' becoming a world leader who won the Nobel Prize for Peace and earning the tribute, "Saint of the Gutters."
It would seem then that these examples defy scriptures; that the pottery for common use has become pottery for noble purposes. But it is easy to forget that the maker that makes us for one purpose, can also break us, and re-make us for another. The potter can break common clay, refine it and purify it in fire, in spirit, and recreate a noble masterpiece. The forester can burn an entire expanse of wild bush land and plant in that same soil a new seed.
Any person who has achieved greatness has been 'broken-in.' They have encountered life situations that have broken them, humbled them, brought them to their knees, and cut their egos down to size, shattering their limited conception of self. It is in these moments of breaking that they have learned to persevere. It's God's way of making the wise foolish, and fools wise.
We are all clay in the potter's hands. And the world breaks everyone. All of us have experienced situations in life that have tested us severely. Hey, shit happens?but if it didn't, we'd all be constipated. It's a good thing! But if we refuse to humble ourselves, refuse to take risks in life, refuse to see our own worst faults, stubbornly refuse to learn from our failures, and keep repeating the same mistakes, the shit piles up pretty fast! And that can be very painful.
We have only ourselves to blame for being put to common use and settling for mediocrity. If we were to read the scriptures more deeply, we would realize that the maker is in us, for it clearly states, "Behold the Kingdom of God is within you!" [Luke 17:21] And so living a life of noble purpose requires surrendering to the master within ? letting go and letting great. Only by willing to be broken and humbled can we be rebuilt in far stronger spiritual clay. For as Hemingway once wrote, "The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially." ■
Sharif Khan is a professional speaker and author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul," an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people's leadership potential. You can reach him at sharif@herosoul.com or by visiting http://www.herosoul.com
Sharif provides inspirational keynotes and leadership development workshops that entertain, educate, and empower. To book Sharif as a speaker for your next event call: (416) 417-1259.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that... Read More
On January 13th 1982 an Air Florida flight crashed off... Read More
At any given moment, there are 'things' occurring within the... Read More
In an edition of Reader's Digest, I stumbled upon a... Read More
Before we tread into the domain of Past Life... we... Read More
Imagine yourself marooned on a vast deserted island. You have... Read More
As I sit here and ponder my existence my heart... Read More
The smart 'spiritual' answer is 'you always get what you... Read More
The truth revealed as we read about Hazael also reminds... Read More
"Let me tell you why you're here. You're here because... Read More
Can you imagine being sent out into the wilderness for... Read More
In the last 2 weeks or so, I have been... Read More
How a Divine "Dream", gave me a Spiritual Principle for... Read More
As Christians, we know we need God in every aspect... Read More
1. The name Michael means, "Who is like God". In... Read More
Actually I have 'helped' exorcize spirits more than once but... Read More
Peter is a man after my own heart. I feel... Read More
I finally went to the dentist today. I had been... Read More
There's a Native American belief that before we are born,... Read More
Are you always looking for bargains, especially something that you... Read More
An Introduction to MatthewSETTINGHave you ever been promised something wonderful,... Read More
"No man is a prophet in his own country."That line... Read More
"May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the... Read More
In this article, I would like deal with one specific... Read More
One of the "loopholes" in my philosophical belief system when... Read More
Can God really heal your pain? Does every trial come... Read More
The earth is wrapped in a thin, loose shell of... Read More
I am sure many of you reading this article have... Read More
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me,... Read More
Have you ever heard something that really "resonated" with you?... Read More
You can think of your Animal Totems as imaginary guides... Read More
Many of our great religions hold that numbers contain hidden... Read More
There are many energy beings available to assist us in... Read More
Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth. (Channelled)From time to time... Read More
Come on now!? Really? This is going too far, you... Read More
Unconditional love means unconditional freedom. Love and freedom are two... Read More
It's strange how my life today looks wildly different from... Read More
We'll begin with a question:What is a moral?I'd say it's... Read More
Can God really heal your pain? Does every trial come... Read More
Presently, many of us live in uncertainty. Due to the... Read More
Obviously, if you really want to learn about the meanings... Read More
One day Gilligan ventures off as usual into the jungle.... Read More
Spiritual healing of the sick in Christ has many Christians... Read More
Is it not true that only after gaining Enlightenment (Self-Realization)... Read More
I want to share with you something that happened to... Read More
Within every obstacle there is an equivalent or greater benefit.~Napoleon... Read More
As we proceed further into the 21st century there is... Read More
We have all heard the phrase, "follow your nose". This... Read More
An interesting question that frequently comes up is "Which Gods... Read More
The words 'new age' and 'spirituality' can have people running... Read More
Who is God? This question would sound awkward to 80%... Read More
The fundamental aim of spiritual study is to get facts... Read More
As we walk along our paths in life, we will... Read More
Well I had a website that I was posting on... Read More
God made humans in his image but these days very... Read More
In the game of billiards there are two things you... Read More
God rides a Harley, God drives truck, God is a... Read More
Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in... Read More
"Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for... Read More
Since I awoke from my three month coma in August... Read More
One of my favorite movies is "The Green Mile". A... Read More
Over the past years, I have undergone a life-altering transition... Read More
Do you want victory in your life? Do you have... Read More
Over the past few years I have watched the popularity... Read More
(Channelled)Good morning Roy, good morning Joseth.What has love got to... Read More
People rarely live up to a hundred years of age... Read More
Spirituality |