Posted on October 15, 2021 by Catey Stover in Victory Call
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 NIV)
Once upon a time, there was a little boy named Ping. Ping was an expert gardener who lived in ancient China under the rule of an old emperor. One day, the emperor gathered up all of the children in his kingdom and gave them each a seed, and told them, “whoever can grow the biggest and most beautiful plant from this seed by the end of one year will be heir to the throne.” Ping went home and carefully placed his seed in some fresh soil in a pot and watered it every day. Try as he might, nothing ever grew in its place. At the end of the year, all of the children brought beautiful flowers to the emperor, who seemed unsatisfied with each plant. When Ping was called in, he bowed his head in shame and explained that though he tried, he could not grow anything from the seed he was given. The emperor smiled and put his arm around Ping, announcing that he had found the next heir to the throne. He explained that each seed had been cooked before being given out, and therefore it was impossible for any flowers to grow. The emperor was happy to find the most honest child in the kingdom.
This is an old Chinese folktale titled “The Empty Pot” and there is a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from it. Yes, it’s about honesty… but it’s also about humility. Do you ever find yourself going through a storm, but never wanting others to know about it? Do you ever dress in your Sunday best, go to church, and smile through the pain? Do you ever go to great lengths to conceal the fact that your spiritual pot might really be very… empty?
May I encourage you, my brother or sister, if you are going through trying times, to find a trusted believer and go to him for prayer and encouragement? You don’t have to tell everybody about your struggles – after all, we are called to guard our hearts but we also mustn’t forget that the Lord instructs us to pray for others when we need healing. Sometimes we are the ones praying for others… but sometimes we might be the one in need of someone to pray for us.
This Victory Call was originally published in Real Victory for Real Life Volume 3
Written by Erin C.: Erin served for four years as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!
Think About This: “God is God. If He is God, He is worthy of my worship and my service. I will find rest nowhere but in His will, and that will is infinitely, immeasurably, unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to.” ―
The Daily Bible Reading: Luke 21 | You can download our 2021 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here.
This Week’s Verse to Memorize: 13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” –Galatians 5:13-14
Consider a retreat at America’s Keswick retreat center.
