A Vessel God Can Use

Related Scripture:

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” - Ecclesiastes 3:11

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” – 2 Corinthians 4:7

Every football official knows the importance of being prepared, focused, and available. You can’t help your crew if you’re distracted, overloaded, or trying to do someone else’s job. In the same way, think of the metaphor of a medicine bottle: its only function is to contain and share, not create the medicine. That’s the picture Paul gives in 2 Corinthians 4:7: we are jars of clay meant to hold and pour out God’s power and glory.

Spiritually, God designed you the same way. You’re a vessel — not the source. Your responsibility isn’t to manufacture strength, clarity, or peace; it’s to be clean, empty, and available for God to fill. And those qualities grow when you recognize what Ecclesiastes 3:11 says: God placed eternity in your heart — a God‑shaped void only He can fill. When you try to fill it with performance, approval, or control, you end up officiating from pressure, not peace.

But when you let Christ fill the places you can’t, you develop the attributes every great official needs: poise, humility, awareness, and unity. A vessel can only pour out what it contains — so let God fill you.

Questions to Ponder:

Where do you need humility to replace self‑reliance so Christ can shape both the official and the person you’re becoming?

What substitute are you trusting instead of Jesus to fill the God‑shaped void that performance, control, or busyness can’t satisfy?

Larry Etheridge - LFOA - FCA Area Representative (Dawson County, GA)