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For most of our lives, we all have some time of role model or person we look up to, that we want to become.

Maybe it’s a sports star like Lebron James or Tom Brady. Maybe a movie star or a singer. It could even be a family member like a mom, dad, grandpa. Whatever it is, there is someone we want to become. Someone that we dream of being like.

For most of my life, my “dream job” alternated like crazy and with that, my role models and inspirations. I wanted to be a basketball player, movie star, and every other famous career.

As I grew up, matured, I realized that I had everything in my arsenal to become the man that I wanted to be. Not because I had what it took to be a basketball player or some famous person. But because who I wanted to be became what the Lord created me to be. I became what he was shaping me to become. That is, a vessel.

What is a Vessel?

Vessel is a weird word, so it’s super understandable that many will ask, what is that?

I always refer to Merriam-Webster Dictionary for my definitions, and the definition for vessel in there is “a container for holding something.” Other definitions include the idea of something or someone carrying something in them.

A vessel for water could be a water bottle. For hot soup, you have a thermos.

I would like to consider myself a teacher of some sorts, and this blog is the vessel that holds these teachings.

All of this probably makes a lot of sense, but I’m sure you’re still wondering how this relates to us. Well let’s look at scripture for the answer to that question. 2 Timothy 2:21 tells us this,

“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.”

This verse perfectly captures what a vessel really is, at least in the way of Christian living. The Lord wants to use us a vessel and use us to transform lives. To do every good work. He wants to use us to carry the blessing and the good works for the rest of the world.

How to Become a Vessel

There are a few things that a vessel is. They’re shown in that scripture but let’s clearly state them.

A vessel is:

• Cleansed
• Set apart
• Useful to the master
• Ready for every good work

Those are very important steps and to really be used, we should dive deeper and greater understand what each of these things mean.

Becoming Cleansed

We have two very great scriptures that give us insight on how to become cleansed and they are pretty familiar concepts. 1 John 1 gives us those two gems.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7).

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).

Looking at those two verses, we have two conclusions. The first, is that we must walk in the light for Jesus to cleanse us. The second is that we must confess.

Although those may seem like two entirely different things, there is only one requirement. We must confess our sins. In doing that, we start walking in the light. As we walk in the light, the Lord cleanses us.

Become Set Apart

Now, as we are already cleansed, we have already been made usable. We just need to answer the call. The art of being set apart helps us to do that.

Being set apart as holy means to not act, not live, like the world. But to live in the way of righteousness.

Romans 6 tells us this,

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”(Romans 6:16).

This verse uses pretty extreme language, but it’s so necessary. In this great book of grace, we must understand that we all obey something. Either sin or obedience to Christ.

The way of righteousness is a byproduct of one of those two things. Sin, or obedience to Christ. I think we can all guess which of those two it is.

To become set apart, we must be obedient to Christ.

Become Useful to Christ

It’s almost crazy to think that we could be useful at all to Christ. After all, he’s the king of the universe. The king of kings. The alpha and the omega. How could we be useful to him?

We all know about free will, (if not, we can get into that some other time) so we know that we all have free will. Many use this free will to desert God and follow their own desires. As vessels, the Lord uses us to reach them.

As much scripture as we’ve already used, I’m going to use some more. Romans 12:1 says that we must “present our bodies as a living sacrifice”. By doing this, we can be made useful to Christ.

Think about it. If we aren’t ready to share the gospel with a friend for whatever reason, in what way can we really be useful?

If we love our own lives so much that we aren’t willing to step out in faith at all, God won’t be able to live through us. We must continually give up our own lives and our own comfort, for God to use us.

How to do that? I’ve had that question many times. It’s hard to push ourselves out there, to break intimidation, to have boldness.

The best advice that I was given, and that I have applied, is to pray for more of what you don’t have. Don’t have boldness? Pray for it.

If you want more help with stepping out and making yourself a sacrifice, you can find a mini book that helped me so much, Become Ready

Although it sounds like another big step to really be a vessel, becoming ready for good works is simple.

I believe that becoming ready for good works comes when you have started practicing the other steps mentioned. There is one thing that we need to note however.

Good works starts with a word we’re so familiar with, but don’t really understand.

We have the understanding that there are a lot of good things. Good weather, good days, good people, but really, there is only one good thing. God. Through him alone can we really do good works.

Lucky for us, we are created for good works, and through the grace of God, we are able to walk in them! All it takes is recognizing who we are and Christ, and living in that born again identity!

Why a Vessel

A post on finding your calling was made a few weeks ago, which you can read here, and it’s important to recognize a difference between these two topics.

A calling is so important, and we all have distinct plans that God put on our lives. When it comes to callings, we all have a calling that’s distinct to us, even if it seems they’re similar. However, we’re all called to be a vessel.

If you take a look at what our true purpose as Christians are, we are all called to bring glory to God. All of us.

I had a friend tell me once, that even if we’re one person, we have a ministry. We all have a ministry and that ministry is created to give glory to God.

When you share the gospel, you give glory to God. When someone teaches the gospel, they give glory to God. A group worshipping together gives glory to God.

We’re all called to be a vessel and to give glory to God!

Broken Vessels

As we’ve discussed already, we are all called to give glory to God, no matter where we’re at in life. However, there’s a popular lie that many believe. That is, that they aren’t good enough.

When people begin to believe that they aren’t good enough to be used by God, they stay where they’re at, and aren’t used. It’s a sort of loop.

However, God is a good god, and he loves to use broken vessels. In fact, every time he uses someone, he essentially uses a broken vessel.

We were all dead to sin, and Christ made us alive to him (Romans 6:11). We all were broken, and the Lord was able to restore us back to the design he had. In a way, he took a broken vase, chipped and cracked, and built it back perfectly. He restores us back to a design that’s built for good works.

None of us are perfect, but he builds us up and gives us the strength to do it. God gives us the strength to be a vessel.

Through Christ, we become suitable and complete, ready to be a vessel. It’s nothing that we do whatsoever, but what he does.

Practical Application

Living a life dedicated to God’s kingdom and giving him the glory is really simple. It is all about letting go of our flesh, our own worldly desires, and giving the Lord leeway into our lives.

Allowing the Lord to move, sacrificing our own comfort, in turn blesses us.

The most practical advice that I could give, outside of what’s already been said, is to find ways that you can give the Lord control. Find areas of your life that you have trouble letting go of, and let God work in them.

I’ve found that the areas that I want to control the most, are the areas that I trust God the least. Taking a step of faith and letting go of those major things will only increase your faith, because God will undoubtedly be faithful.

In all things though, keep your mind on the things of God. Don’t let your thoughts wander off from giving God the glory and the things of God. As you begin to set your thoughts on God, you will become more of what you want to be. A vessel.

As the quote goes, “let go and let God”.

Final Thoughts

Luke 9:24 says this,

“If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.”

That passage was in red letters, which means it comes from Jesus himself. Think about the importance of this.

The more that we cling to our own lives, the more lost we will be. But in giving ourselves and our lives to Jesus, we find ourselves. And we find God.

I urge all my brothers and so sisters in Christ, become a vessel. In giving up our worldly desires and following Christ whole heartedly, making ourselves a vessel for the glory of God, we find life. We find what we truly need.

“Let go and let God”