I Am a Beautiful Silver Platter

I have a dear friend, Christy K., with whom I have been reading through Scripture. We've had such fun sharing what God is teaching us, and it is so cool to see how God's Word is "living and active." We'll often read the same passage and be ministered to in totally different ways. Then, as "iron sharpens iron" sharing our thoughts, challenges, questions, and convictions grows our souls as well. It's also been great accountability to dig into God's Word daily. If you are struggling to find delight in Scripture, I highly encourage you to read through it with a friend!

Recently she passed along this analogy that I thought was so amazing it had to be shared! Now she would agree with me when I caution you...read God's Word for yourself first. See what He has to teach you from 2 Timothy 2 and be blessed. But after you've chewed on some raw Bible for yourself, be encouraged by what He is sharing through my beautiful friend as well...

2 Timothy 2:20 Now in  a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay,  some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore,  if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable,  he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house,  ready for every good work. OK, go with me on this one :) I read this verse in The Message and journaled about this and God gave me this picture. Here it is in The Message first... 2 Timothy 2:20-21 In a well-furnished kitchen there are not only crystal goblets and silver platters, but waste cans and compost buckets—some containers used to serve fine meals, others to take out the garbage. Become the kind of container God can use to present any and every kind of gift to his guests for their blessing. I got the picture that He made me to be a beautiful silver platter. Beautiful because it is formed and shaped and etched by Him but also polished daily by His Son's grace. Have you ever seen a tarnished piece of silver? I used to clean my parents' house for extra $$. My dad has a silver cup from his fraternity in his office. It always looked old and ugly until one day I polished it, and it is beautiful! We need daily polishing from His Word and His forgiveness and grace poured over us! We are His creations made in His image, so of course we are going to be beautiful! But I also like the analogy of being a silver PLATTER because our function is to be servants! We are to serve! Not be put up on a shelf and collect dust or even to be used as decoration! We are servants of the King! We are to be used to serve the King daily! And to serve His people in His kingdom and His guests! And sometimes we are meant to do the dirty work and be garbage cans or disposals, but sometimes we get to be the silver platter :) I know there is tons more packed into these verses, and tomorrow I could get something entirely different from this, and that's what is so cool about His Word :) Anyways, I thought that was cool and wanted to share :)