Stop the Brinkmanship

2 Timothy 2:20,21 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (ESV)

As children, we all played a game of brinkmanship with our parents; testing their limits, seeing how far we could push them, discovering what we could get away with. It’s all part of growing up. 

But as adults, surely we’ve moved beyond all that. But oh no! So many continue their game of brinkmanship with God. Rather than asking, “How can I honour Him above all?” they’re instead wondering, “How much can I get away with?” 

Do we imagine that God’s stupid, that He doesn’t notice, that there aren’t consequences? The truth is that He saves His best for those who honour Him:

2 Timothy 2:20,21 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honourable use, some for dishonourable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. (ESV)

Let’s start with the vessels of wood and clay for “dishonourable use”. Those are the containers used for carting out the night soil. Sensational! In stark contrast are the vessels of gold and silver, set apart as holy, useful to the Master, and ready for every good work.

Now, as you process those two images, let’s come back to this game of brinkmanship that we insist on playing with God, testing Him out, seeing where the boundaries are. 

Question: which one of those two images would you prefer for your life? It’s obvious, right? So stop this game of brinkmanship. Cleanse yourself of what is dishonourable, because one way or the other there are consequences. 

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.