i dont want to be an old dirty spoon

2Tim2:20-21 (NLT)

20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood or clay.  The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use.  Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for very good work. 

I don't want to live my life as a dirty old spoon.  I don't want to be an old coffee mug that sits at the back of the cupboard never to be used.  I want to be the first choice for special use.  

I love the word pictures that Paul puts together.  Here we have the contrast between old clay utensils and special gold and silver utensils.  The idea being that the Gold and Silver utensils are saved for special work, while the Clay and wood utensils are used for day to day, nothing special type work.  Some translations say "dishonorable work" or "ignoble work".  In any case, there is a definite difference between them and getting to use the company's coming utensils. 

Paul's challenge is that if we can rid ourselves of that which is dishonorable or ignoble, we can too be as the special utensils.  This is what I want.  

The picture that is painted in this verse for me is the idea of followers of christ, in Gods great cupboard, (a cupboard that God uses to keep his workers) and when he is ready to do a real work, and exciting work, a special work, a saving work, a work with eternal significance, that he reaches for the Gold and Silver. 

I think in my life there has been times that I have been silver, and maybe even sometimes gold. however, i also know there have been times that i have been wood and clay.  the cool part about it however, is that we are encouraged to continue to rid ourselves of the things that are dishonorable; when we continue to make oureselves pure we move into the special place in the cupboard ready to be used by God.  

The challenge i see here, is making sure that we continue to stay in that latter cupboard spot.  The last thing i would ever want to have happen is miss out on the special work that God has planned for me simply because my heart is keeping me in the old everyday use section.  I want to be used for the special work, the exciting stuff, the stuff that matters, and the promise here is that if i remain pure, God has exciting, special work saved for me to partner with him on.  How cool!

Koop Bro, as you head into a summer full of divine moments, organized chaos (and sometimes unorganized), and the honor to speak God's truth into the lives of teens, may you continue to keep your heart pure, rid yourself of any dishonor and ignobleness, so that God can use you in these special ways. May He truly unleash you to speak with the boldness of the presence of the Holy Spirit.