When many people hear the word ‘prerogative’ a number of misconceptions flow through their minds. The first is the way the word is pronounced and spelled. Many believe it is spelled ‘perogative’ and thus they pronounce it accordingly. The second is the actual meaning of the word. Often the idea that accompanies the usage of this word is ‘point of view’ or ‘perspective’. So that if a person was to say “That’s your prerogative.” It would be like saying “That’s your business.” While most would understand what this person meant, and most would see no problem with this word being used in such a manner, that isn’t necessarily the best way for this word to be used.
The word actually means “a right that, customarily, is vested in a single person” (thesaurus.com) or “an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like” (dictionary.com). So then it is clear that the word has to do with more than merely a point of view or one’s own business. It has to do with rights that are unique to a person based on their position, based on their station, their status, their worth. The word refers to privileges that not all would have access to.
The title of the Blog is “The Potter’s Prerogative”. When a potter is working with a piece of clay, the clay and all that happens to it are indeed the business of the potter, but only by virtue of him being the potter. The clay belongs to him. Therefore it is perfectly reasonable for us to accept that the fate of the clay is in the potter’s hands. That privilege and that right, the right to determine the lot of the clay falls to the potter alone. It is the potter’s
prerogative.
Our God is referred to as The Potter, and surely we understand ourselves to be nothing more than clay. There is, however, an awful lot that goes along with that acknowledgement. If we indeed see ourselves as merely clay in the Potter’s hands then we understand that our lot is His privilege. We understand that the Potter has an image in mind that He is constantly working us and shaping us into. We understand that without him we lack any shape and any purpose. We understand that we are far better having been on His wheel under the work of His hands than having been off. The clay cannot claim to know better than the Potter what is needed in order to acquire the proper product in the end. It is the Potter’s business.
Acknowledging ourselves to truly be clay in the Potter’s hands affects the way we approach every scenario of life. That acknowledgment brings every event of life and places it into this category: The Potter’s Work. Whether the situation is pleasant or hard, whether it is joyful or tragic, in the end there is no room for complaint, there is no room for discontentment. Why? Well is there a Potter or not? Is He in control or not? Does He have a purpose or not? Is there an end product that He has in mind or not? As the clay, do we belong to Him or not? Is our lot His business or not? It is. It is the Potter’s Prerogative.
There is no reason to be defeated by this fact, or to feel robbed of some liberty or freedom. First off the Potter wants for the clay what the clay would want for itself if the clay were smart enough to want it (to steal and adapt a quote by Jason Gaddis)! The fact that we are subject to the work of the Potter is actually quite comforting and reassuring if you think about it. If I had to go through some of the hardships of life thinking that there is no real purpose, that there is no realmeaning, there is nothing more to some tragedy than the pain or difficulty that accompanies it, then sure I have reason to despair, but the fact that there is a Potter who is in control of all, and is working behind the scenes, and has a purpose beyond what is happening right before my eyes gives me reason to hope. If there is one allowing or orchestrating the circumstances of life, if there is one who lives, indeed, above the circumstances of life, not bound by the circumstances of this life, then I have reason to hope. If I know that there is one who is going to care for me, and work all out for my good then there is hope. If there is one spinning the wheel, and one pouring on the water, and one shaping the clay through it all, and He is in control, then I can be ok with that. I don’t have to fear the wheel, I don’t have to fear the water, I don’t have to fear the heat and the friction that come by way of the shaping and molding process, because the Potter is in control. It is His right. It is His prerogative. And we should let Him have it.
What does that have to do with this Blog? I try to write with that in mind. I try to write remembering that the lot of the clay is the privilege of the Potter…
The word actually means “a right that, customarily, is vested in a single person” (thesaurus.com) or “an exclusive right, privilege, etc., exercised by virtue of rank, office, or the like” (dictionary.com). So then it is clear that the word has to do with more than merely a point of view or one’s own business. It has to do with rights that are unique to a person based on their position, based on their station, their status, their worth. The word refers to privileges that not all would have access to.
The title of the Blog is “The Potter’s Prerogative”. When a potter is working with a piece of clay, the clay and all that happens to it are indeed the business of the potter, but only by virtue of him being the potter. The clay belongs to him. Therefore it is perfectly reasonable for us to accept that the fate of the clay is in the potter’s hands. That privilege and that right, the right to determine the lot of the clay falls to the potter alone. It is the potter’s
prerogative.
Our God is referred to as The Potter, and surely we understand ourselves to be nothing more than clay. There is, however, an awful lot that goes along with that acknowledgement. If we indeed see ourselves as merely clay in the Potter’s hands then we understand that our lot is His privilege. We understand that the Potter has an image in mind that He is constantly working us and shaping us into. We understand that without him we lack any shape and any purpose. We understand that we are far better having been on His wheel under the work of His hands than having been off. The clay cannot claim to know better than the Potter what is needed in order to acquire the proper product in the end. It is the Potter’s business.
Acknowledging ourselves to truly be clay in the Potter’s hands affects the way we approach every scenario of life. That acknowledgment brings every event of life and places it into this category: The Potter’s Work. Whether the situation is pleasant or hard, whether it is joyful or tragic, in the end there is no room for complaint, there is no room for discontentment. Why? Well is there a Potter or not? Is He in control or not? Does He have a purpose or not? Is there an end product that He has in mind or not? As the clay, do we belong to Him or not? Is our lot His business or not? It is. It is the Potter’s Prerogative.
There is no reason to be defeated by this fact, or to feel robbed of some liberty or freedom. First off the Potter wants for the clay what the clay would want for itself if the clay were smart enough to want it (to steal and adapt a quote by Jason Gaddis)! The fact that we are subject to the work of the Potter is actually quite comforting and reassuring if you think about it. If I had to go through some of the hardships of life thinking that there is no real purpose, that there is no realmeaning, there is nothing more to some tragedy than the pain or difficulty that accompanies it, then sure I have reason to despair, but the fact that there is a Potter who is in control of all, and is working behind the scenes, and has a purpose beyond what is happening right before my eyes gives me reason to hope. If there is one allowing or orchestrating the circumstances of life, if there is one who lives, indeed, above the circumstances of life, not bound by the circumstances of this life, then I have reason to hope. If I know that there is one who is going to care for me, and work all out for my good then there is hope. If there is one spinning the wheel, and one pouring on the water, and one shaping the clay through it all, and He is in control, then I can be ok with that. I don’t have to fear the wheel, I don’t have to fear the water, I don’t have to fear the heat and the friction that come by way of the shaping and molding process, because the Potter is in control. It is His right. It is His prerogative. And we should let Him have it.
What does that have to do with this Blog? I try to write with that in mind. I try to write remembering that the lot of the clay is the privilege of the Potter…
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