Becoming
Vessels of Mercy
By Sharon Musgrove
“What if God, desiring to show His
wrath and to make known His power, has endured with much patience vessels of
wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of His glory
for vessels of mercy, which He has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom
He has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles.” Romans
9:22-24. ESV
Years ago, I was working toward the
goal of becoming a Specialist in Fitness Nutrition. As a competing athlete, I was passionate
about how the right nutrition could not only fuel but help shape the human form
into a lean, powerful, performing machine.
Once certified, I put out my shingle for business.
Unbeknownst to me, grievous events
would quickly alter my course. Personal
injury brought my physical abilities to a halt and the business relationship I
had built with a gym owner terminated. I
was devastated.
Over a year later, out of the blue, I
received a call from a local recovery center looking for a nutrition teacher
for their program. It wasn’t what I
intended for myself, but knowing it was an opportunity to work in my field, I
accepted.
Within the relapse prevention program,
dozens of women were recovering not only from substance use, but, more sizably,
traumatic life events. Their stories
were filled with abusive horrors that were foreign to my life experience. Because of my naïveté, I did not understand
why God would put me in a place so completely outside of my league.
These women taught me strength training
of another sort and I became educated by their life lessons. I felt as though I was being shaped for
something completely different than expected.
That’s when news of sexual abuse within
my family struck. The enemy hit my territory. In the shock wave, I remembered the stories
told to me by my students and I knew . . . I knew to my very core . . . that
God had been preparing me for this. He
was helping me become a vessel of mercy.
In Romans 9, Paul addresses some of the
very same questions that surface in the lives of believers of his time.
“Is God fair?”
“Has God failed?”
“Am I just a puppet...a victim on the
whims of God?”
Paul uses the metaphor of two vessels,
one being an angry vessel (“vessel of wrath”) and the other a compassionate
vessel (“vessel of mercy”), both of God’s making. Opportunity is given to both vessels to be
tools for the Maker’s good will.
The Greek word for wrath in Romans 9:22 is “orgé,” from
the verb oragō meaning, “to teem, to swell.”
This implies not a sudden outburst, but rather a growing agitation.
The vessel of wrath might
be considered a crockpot of indignation, slowly breaking down its internal
contents with constant heat. But,
according to Romans 9:23-24, some vessels have heeded God’s call and are filled
with mercy. This vessel more like a bowl
of fruit sitting on the counter, always offering something healthy.
Trusting God can look like letting go
of the specific plans we have made and accepting with faith the opportunities
that are offered. Being malleable under
direction is a choice, as trust is a choice.
And an education in mercy might just be the consequence of surrendering
to this other direction.
I was angry that my nutrition business
had flopped. And I could have remained
angry, stubbornly holding fast to my goal and demanding God be fair, but I
would have lost out on the valuable insight He was extending me for what was
ahead. Instead, I’m grateful for the
very specific direction God was turning me toward, putting roadblocks on one
path and opening a new route. Without
the job, without the broken ladies I was working with, I would not have had the
mind frame of compassion nor the skills of grace for the marred ones in my
personal sphere.
Look into your story. Does it feel like God has failed you or been
unjust? Is anger the temperature of your
heart? Look again, it might just be that
God is making known His glory by rerouting your life through patience and
mercy. Could He be shaping you into a
vessel of mercy? His hand is
compassionate. He knows your future and
wishes to prepare you for it.
Sharon has been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and devotionals since 2007.
She has
had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private,
Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served
women in the homeless community.
Sharon has
traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the
rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intended
on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often
abused young women.
Within
these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words
spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its
transformative power has become her passion.
Sharon and
her husband, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown
children.
Currently,
Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing
face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry.
~*~
Connect
with Sharon:
Website: Sharonmusgrove.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmusgrove_untethered/
Author
Bio:
Sharon has
been writing and teaching biblically based curriculum, Bible studies, and
devotionals since 2007.
She has
had the unique position of writing curriculum and teaching for two private,
Christ-based, residential recovery programs. Both programs primarily served
women in the homeless community.
Sharon has
traveled multiple times to Kenya, serving on medical teams and teaching in the
rural Maasai communities. She’s been privileged to speak in Leadership camps intended
on encouraging and empowering the impoverished, underprivileged, and often
abused young women.
Within
these ministries, Sharon has witnessed the transformative power of loving words
spoken to the broken-hearted. Sharing God’s love and witnessing its
transformative power has become her passion.
Sharon and
her husband, divide their time between Oregon and Hawaii. They have two grown
children.
Currently,
Sharon is encouraging others via her inspirational blog, but prefers sharing
face to face. Additionally, she is working towards a degree in Ministry.
~*~
Connect
with Sharon:
Website: Sharonmusgrove.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sharon-Musgrove-Untethered-102208978041060
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sharonmusgrove_untethered/
No comments:
Post a Comment