When and Why Does the Vessel Break?

When and Why Does the Vessel Break?

The vessel breaks when it is treated roughly and if it is not sufficiently pliable. That is, when we do not bear the greater difficulties that God allows to come our way.

What is the reason for not being able to bear greater difficulties? The reason is that one has not been careful to keep one’s heart pure in the lesser difficulties. One has despised the little things; i.e., one has murmured a little in one’s heart about little things, contrary to God’s law.

Consequently, when the greater and weightier difficulties come the entire vessel breaks and the Potter (in His love and endurance) has to knead the dough (the lump of clay) again in order to try and make another vessel out of it—the best that He can.

In His goodness He does the best with all of us. This is precisely the reason why every knee shall bow before Him and every tongue shall confess that His way is perfect.

Let us look at some difficulties, by way of example, in which the vessel often breaks.

1. In Poverty. I have been upright and done it the best I can. Why does this have to happen to me now? God is unrighteous. The vessel breaks. If I had overcome (kept myself pure) during the small lacks that I had experienced previously I would most certainly have stood this test as well.

Or I want to borrow a few thousand kroner in the hope that the brotherhood is good enough to give me whatever I ask for, and then everything will be just fine. God has different ideas with me and I do not get the desired loan. “There is no genuine brotherhood. It is just humbug.” The heart becomes hard. The vessel breaks. If I had made use of the previous, lesser opportunities not to make any demands, not to put my trust in man, but only to rely on the Lord, I would have stood this test as well.

2. During accidents, deaths, and similar things. You lose your right arm, and your future plans are totally ruined. The young wife suddenly loses her faithful husband. A mother loses her only child. You receive a child that is not well formed or not normally developed, etc. The person concerned is under the impression that he has lived completely for God and cannot possibly understand this. The heart becomes hard; the vessel breaks. If the person had submitted to God’s leading in little things, from the heart, he would certainly have stood this test as well.

3. When the question of great, greater, greatest arises. The vessel breaks because one cannot bear the fact that a certain brother becomes greater than oneself. For example, he is younger in years and one finds it impossible to agree that he is better. In other words, one succumbs to evil envy. If one had truly humbled oneself in little things one would also have borne this.

4. During love and marriage. This is a very sensitive area, especially for young sisters. The one who is blind to this must either be an infant who understands nothing of this whatsoever, or he must be hardened by self-love. If we had a count of all the sisters who broke down on this point we would be certain to see an extremely large, unimaginably great number. They hope for this one and for that one but only see them disappear or marry someone else (who is less worthy in their eyes). They cannot bear it. Their heart becomes hard. The vessel breaks. If they had truly submitted to God’s will in little things they would certainly have submitted to it in this important question as well. If they had loved Christ far above their own lust and will, and if they had refused to love a strange man secretly, then this would certainly have gone well. It is truly the small foxes that destroy the vineyard.

5. In regards to brotherhood with someone of a totally different character.

In due time one is placed next to a brother whose weak side is one’s personal strong point. In other words he is, according to one’s nature, unbearable and unsympathetic. The way he speaks and his conduct affect me in the same way as a red cloth does a bull. I become agitated. Just imagine—speaking like that! To behave like that! This is terrible! And he is considered to be somebody! He is even considered to be better than others (than I am)! He is just a plain old hypocrite. I can just feel it. I have no fellowship (and I don’t want to have any) with him. I simply cannot bear either to see or to hear him. The heart becomes hard. The vessel breaks, and I leave the church. If one from the heart had received instruction from the parable of the “unforgiving fellow servant” and practiced it in small things, one would surely have passed victoriously through this great difficulty as well.

Unnoticed faithfulness in small things produces splendid victories in great things. Pay heed to your way in small things, in the hidden; be exact, be firm with the thoughts of your heart. Do not permit yourself small transgressions and your vessel will never break. No matter whose vessel breaks, yours will not.