Broken Vessels
The Bible is all about repentance, restoration and reconciliation.
The month of Elul (normally early fall in the US) is a month set aside to focus heavily on repentance and our need to repent and make reconciliation with others.
Repentance is turning from sin. The Hebrew word is “Teshuvah.” It is a full change of actions and complete departure from where you were going.
Today I’m gonna focus on how we get to a place of a true repentant and pure hearts.
Mark 11: 25
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
When we are born we are like a beautiful vessel being molded by the Father. We are a perfect work. Then comes our first hurt, anger, or pain. A crack occurs in that perfect vessel. A piece falls away and we become broken.
As we grow we have a choice, we either put the piece back into place or we move forward with a gap in the vessel. Some of these are generational and we have a choice. Over the span of life we have many gaps, cracks, and holes in that once perfect vessel.
We cannot do anything being wronged. It is going to happen. We can’t do anything about the sins of our Fathers. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We are going to offend, hurt, and wound the closest of our friends and family. This is a big reason why over 85% of married couples in the church are divorced. But we have a choice on how to proceed.
You see forgiveness is Spiritually and Mentally releasing the other party from offense. It is also Spiritually and Mentally releasing you of that hurt and anger others have caused you. It is by forgiving we come to a place where we can be put back together. Everything in the Scripture is about Repentance, Restoration, and Reconciliation to perfection. One day we will be made new by the Creator and our vessels will be perfect and spotless like He intended us to be.
Forgiveness is the glue that allows the pieces to be put back together in the hands of our Heavenly Father who is the potter of our broken vessel. Ever forming us, and molding us.
Don’t go into day harboring offense and un-forgiveness. The Father won’t hear your repentance and forgive you if you aren’t willing to forgive your brother.
Please don’t tell me they have to be repentant for you to forgive them. Forgive them for you and for them and set forth a power of grace and mercy in the heavenly realm through your physical response. The body of messiah needs to be put back together, and we can’t do so without the glue.
An unforgiving vessel comes to service every week and looks to get filled up and leaves empty because they refuse to put the pieces of their vessel back together with the glue forgivness. So there are cracks that allow the water to flow right out. Not only does an unforgiving heart hurt your vessel but it continues to crack others vessels with gossip, anger, envy, and hurt.
None of us deserve to be forgiven. We have all sinned against the Father at one time or another. We are all broken vessels. But it’s time we release others from their wrong doings to us. It’s time we start to put the pieces back together.
There are people who will read this who have hurt me. Most I am sure have hurt me unknowingly and I have formed barriers based upon that hurt. I forgive you and release you of that offense. You are more than the offense I took and I am so sorry for thinking you were nothing more than my hurt. For those who read this that I have offended, and I know you are here, I repent. For everything crack in your vessel I have placed. Please forgive me. I love each and every one of you more than you will ever know and more than I am capable of ever showing in my broken state.
We cannot go before the Father without a truly repentant heart if we have not forgave our brothers and sisters. We cannot ask Him to do something we aren’t even willing to do.
Is it really worth it. Is it really so important to harbor that anger or hurt? Is it really worth what you think those people are? Worth it enough that it can utterly change you and how you interact with brothers and sisters?
This type of hate, anger, and jealousy pierced and beat Yeshua to the brink of death. The most prefect vessel to ever live was shattered and broken for every one of you. He willingly died for all of our broken vessels that we may be made whole. So that when that Trumpet sounds and he returns we do not stand on judgment day broken any longer. We stand made new by the hands of the potter. It’s time to be made whole and put those pieces back together.