I was sitting in my recliner the other morning having my quiet time when one of the men in our church came into my thoughts. He is very unique, and some people might call him quirky, but I distinctly heard the Lord say to me that he was very pleased with him and considered him a “treasure.” Wow! I was able to tell him a few days later and encourage him in the Lord.

In the context of a scripture found in 2 Corinthians 4:7 Jesus is described as The Treasure that is found in “earthen vessels” — that is us. He is the One who makes our lives valuable. Many people have distinguished themselves by some extraordinary feat or talent and we admire them for that, but God looks at things very differently. He looks at our desire to please Him. He looks at our prompt obedience and that blesses Him more than using our natural talents, even for His purposes. So we are both a treasure and the vessel that holds the greater treasure — Jesus.

While we are here on this earth, we are vulnerable and breakable, just like a clay pot. If a clay pot is used to carry something of value inside it and it is broken, many times what was inside is lost (liquid) or damaged (fragile). But if we are full of Christ and life breaks us into pieces, it should be Him that comes out or is revealed. That is supernatural and can only happen as we allow Him to change us and transform us to become like Him in every way.

Something I have shared before that has such a wonderful application to us “clay pots” is the way a pot can be enhanced when it has been cracked. There is a Japanese technique that uses liquid gold to fill in those cracks, not only beautifying the pot but making it usable again. He is the One who is able to take our cracked lives and fill in those areas with Himself, thus beautifying our lives and enhancing our usefulness to His Kingdom. 

Kintsugi means “golden joinery” in Japanese. Our Lord’s divine nature joined to our humanity that is cracked and broken, making it beautiful and strong and useful. Every piece of pottery becomes unique when this technique is used because no two pieces ever crack the same way. We, too, display our uniqueness of design because our Creator only made one of each of us to uniquely express a part of Him that no one else can or does the same way. Instead of seeing ourselves or others as flawed, we need to appreciate the individuality that He has placed in each one of us. We should even honor and esteem the uniqueness of each person, knowing that they are showing forth a part of God that we cannot model in the same way.

I have been making a focused effort to look at people through redemptive eyes. I heard the testimony of a modern day missionary who travels into dangerous situations to reach people groups that have yet to receive the gospel message. Looking for that area of their lives that may seem to be the worst trait many times indicates that there is a redemptive characteristic that has been twisted and perverted by our enemy, the devil, to keep them out of the light and the truth.

Can you imagine cannibals, for example, understanding the true meaning of eating the flesh or body of Jesus and drinking His blood? When we take communion we understand that Jesus died and shed His blood for us and allowed His human body to be broken for us. We celebrate what He did for us, symbolically partaking of the communion elements by faith. The native people have yet to understand that the craving they have is really not for human flesh and blood, but the redemptive body and blood of our Lord Jesus. What if someone were able to explain that to them? Whole people groups could be redeemed. That is a rather extreme example but I want you to get the point. 

None of us are without hope if we can embrace that treasure that our Father sent from heaven to earth in the form of His Son. When we look at others who seem to be hopeless or who are so evil, we think they are beyond God’s help, we underestimate the power of His love. They may be broken in a thousand pieces or they may be so covered over by layers of debris that it seems hopeless but our God sees things differently than we do. His eyes see what He created that individual to become. He sees their potential, their beauty long before anyone else does — including the broken vessel.

If we can really grasp this truth, we will begin to look at every person differently. The boss or co-worker that gets under our skin, the next door neighbor, whose yard always needs cutting or cleaning up, that sibling who thinks they are the one in charge — the examples are numerous. Every one of us has those kinds of people in our lives. But like this missionary friend who is looking at these difficult ones through the eyes of a loving God who sees them very differently, we are challenged to do the same. He sees what He has designed and created them for while they are here on this planet. No matter how far along they are on the journey He knows the plans He has for them. They are good plans, plans to prosper and bless them. 

Can we agree with God even when we can’t see what He sees? I am sure going to make that effort.