God Made Us Lumps of Clay
God made us. We learn this in catechism when we're, oh, seven years old, maybe before. He made us to know, love and serve Him. Remember?
In Romans 9: 19-24, St Paul talks about how God made each of us the way a potter makes a vessel. He takes a lump of clay and makes this kind of vessel or that kind. What kind are you? Are you the kind used for everyday stuff - like a water vessel. Or maybe you're fancier, some sort of decorative vessel the kind a homeowner keeps on display. Whatever God made you, that's what you are.
St Paul makes the point that the vessel doesn't get to tell the potter what to do.
These are basics. Sometimes we Catholic men, in our busy lives, need to remember the basics. That's why spending a few minutes each day studying our faith is so important.
If you thought spending 10 or 15 minutes studying your faith means studying complex theological ideas, think again. It's mostly refreshing your mind. Sure, you can launch into some special area if you want. Like right now, I'm studying the Church's social and economic teachings. It's slow going - there's so much to learn. And I've got a special interest in this area. But even with my special project, most of my study time is spent on items that refresh my knowledge of the basics.
When you think about it, you'll probably find that you do this in your work from time to time. If not you should. It's not complicated. Just ask yourself: What sort of business or profession are you in. What does the business do? Who are your customers? What are your products and services? What needs are your products and services designed to serve?
Sometimes you'll find you're remembering things you knew but forgot. Sometimes you'll even discover new ideas, basics you never really knew in the first place. Overall, it helps you be more productive, more efficient, even more profitable.
Now do the same for your Catholic faith. Spend time each day learning or remember the basics. If you're not sure where to start, start with you as a lump of clay. What did God make when He made you?
Are you especially intelligent, good-looking, bold, shy? Do you jump up in a crowd and command attention, or do you prefer to be more in the background. The fact is, we're not all the same. And too many of us really don't understand ourselves very well.
Instead of thinking of this exercise as some sort of pure "self" study, think of it as learning how God made you and work your way to what you think He intended you to do in this world.
It's a big world, with so many people doing so many things. Surely, there are some things that fit you better than others - you know, that fit your personality, how God made you.
In fact, if you're unemployed right now, maybe you're thinking you'll have to change careers in order to find work. This is a good exercise to help you know and clearly define your skills and talents.
But I think if you start from the perspective of how God made you, the exercise will be a richer one. And, just think, you'll be bringing God into the flow of your ideas right from the get-go. So I'm guessing you're thoughts will yield better, richer results. Makes sense, no?
Well, we started with thinking of ourselves as lumps and came up with all these ideas. There's a lot here to think about - and a lot to do to find out why God made us who we really are. Just take it bit by bit. You'll find yourself in that lump somewhere - just as God made you.
In Romans 9: 19-24, St Paul talks about how God made each of us the way a potter makes a vessel. He takes a lump of clay and makes this kind of vessel or that kind. What kind are you? Are you the kind used for everyday stuff - like a water vessel. Or maybe you're fancier, some sort of decorative vessel the kind a homeowner keeps on display. Whatever God made you, that's what you are.
St Paul makes the point that the vessel doesn't get to tell the potter what to do.
These are basics. Sometimes we Catholic men, in our busy lives, need to remember the basics. That's why spending a few minutes each day studying our faith is so important.
If you thought spending 10 or 15 minutes studying your faith means studying complex theological ideas, think again. It's mostly refreshing your mind. Sure, you can launch into some special area if you want. Like right now, I'm studying the Church's social and economic teachings. It's slow going - there's so much to learn. And I've got a special interest in this area. But even with my special project, most of my study time is spent on items that refresh my knowledge of the basics.
When you think about it, you'll probably find that you do this in your work from time to time. If not you should. It's not complicated. Just ask yourself: What sort of business or profession are you in. What does the business do? Who are your customers? What are your products and services? What needs are your products and services designed to serve?
Sometimes you'll find you're remembering things you knew but forgot. Sometimes you'll even discover new ideas, basics you never really knew in the first place. Overall, it helps you be more productive, more efficient, even more profitable.
Now do the same for your Catholic faith. Spend time each day learning or remember the basics. If you're not sure where to start, start with you as a lump of clay. What did God make when He made you?
Are you especially intelligent, good-looking, bold, shy? Do you jump up in a crowd and command attention, or do you prefer to be more in the background. The fact is, we're not all the same. And too many of us really don't understand ourselves very well.
Instead of thinking of this exercise as some sort of pure "self" study, think of it as learning how God made you and work your way to what you think He intended you to do in this world.
It's a big world, with so many people doing so many things. Surely, there are some things that fit you better than others - you know, that fit your personality, how God made you.
In fact, if you're unemployed right now, maybe you're thinking you'll have to change careers in order to find work. This is a good exercise to help you know and clearly define your skills and talents.
But I think if you start from the perspective of how God made you, the exercise will be a richer one. And, just think, you'll be bringing God into the flow of your ideas right from the get-go. So I'm guessing you're thoughts will yield better, richer results. Makes sense, no?
Well, we started with thinking of ourselves as lumps and came up with all these ideas. There's a lot here to think about - and a lot to do to find out why God made us who we really are. Just take it bit by bit. You'll find yourself in that lump somewhere - just as God made you.
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