Don't Hide The Cracks

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty”

1 Corinthians 1:27

I remember riding in the car with my mom when a song came on the radio that had the lyrics in it, “And there are lines upon my face, from a lifetime of smiles.” As a middle aged woman at the time her face was beginning to show the signs of wear but she told me as we drove that she liked that song because it reminded her when she looked in the mirror, the wrinkles and the cracks were from a lifetime of smiles. My mom had a beautiful smile and one of my favorite things to do throughout my life was to make her laugh. The Lord quickened that memory to my mind this morning along with the words, “Don’t hide the cracks.”

The point is this. To some degree we are all broken people, living in a broken world, among other broken people. The more we understand that statements truth, the more grace we can offer to others and ourselves as we go about the day. The apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that there are no perfect people. Only God is perfect in all His ways and yet God uses us in our imperfections to magnify His grace and mercy in our lives. In 1 Corinthians 1:26 the apostle pens these words, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD.”

The point is, God uses cracked pots to reveal His glory! Below is an ancient story with a current message for us today. It goes like this…


“An elderly Chinese woman completed a daily trek to the stream past her home and back to supply her family with fresh water. In order to do this, she fashioned a heavy pot on each end of a long pole, which she carried across her shoulders.
One of the pots was in perfect condition and always delivered a full portion of water. The other had a deep crack in it, causing water to leak out.  At the end of the long walk, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
This situation occurred daily for two years, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it had perceived to be bitter failure, the cracked pot spoke to the woman by the stream. “I am ashamed,” it said. “This crack in my side causes water to leak out. You work so hard and yet have little water once you return home.”
The old woman smiled and replied, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path? I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day, while we walked back home, you watered those seeds and helped them to grow. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table and give to neighbors. Without you being just the way you are, there would not have been this special beauty to grace our homes and lives.”

There is an old saying that goes, “We were all born originals but most of us die copies.” God will use your life, cracks and all for His glory if we will allow Him. Don’t forget the admonition of Romans 8 where the apostle Paul reminds us that God causes all things to work for good, to them that love God and who are called according to His purposes. Don’t focus on your limitations today, friends, focus on Jesus for He makes everything beautiful in His time! Trust Him.


“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.”

2 Corinthians 4:7


I LOVE YOU!

Michael Osthimer

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