Recently, as I was pondering how God uses our brokenness for His glory, an old fable came to mind.
There was once a servant who worked for a wealthy master. Every morning, he carried two large pots filled with water, suspended on a pole across his shoulders, from the stream to his master’s house. One pot was perfect, holding every drop of water, but the other had a long crack in its base, leaking half of its water before reaching the house.
For years, the servant repeated this routine. The perfect pot was proud of its flawless performance, but the cracked pot was ashamed, feeling like a failure. One day, as the servant knelt by the stream, the cracked pot finally spoke.
“I am so sorry,” it said. “Because of my flaw, I have only given you half the water every time. I have failed you.”
The servant smiled kindly and said, “Tomorrow, as we walk, look at the path beside you.”
The next morning, as the servant carried the pots up the hill, the cracked pot noticed the many beautiful flowers growing alongside the path. The servant explained, “I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, knowing you would water them each day. Because of your flaw, these flowers have flourished, bringing beauty to my master’s home.”
Like that cracked pot, many of us feel inadequate, ashamed of our past mistakes, our weaknesses, and our brokenness. But God does not see as the world sees. In His hands, even our flaws can be used for His glory.
Consider the Apostle Paul, who struggled with a personal weakness. He pleaded with the Lord to take it away, but God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Instead of removing Paul’s struggle, God used it to demonstrate His strength.
Likewise, when we feel unworthy, God reminds us that we are His masterpiece. “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10). Even our brokenness has a purpose.
You may feel like a cracked pot – insufficient, weak, or unworthy. But God can take the very things you see as flaws and use them to bring life, beauty, and encouragement to others. Don’t let your brokenness define you; let it be a testimony of God’s redeeming grace.
Trust in Him and watch how He turns your cracks into something beautiful.