A Silver Vessel

The steam has to go somewhere. Are you storing it up, hoping it will dissipate on its own? Does it come out anyway, in unfortunate ways?

A favorite song of mine is Under Pressure (David Bowie/Queen): It’s the terror of knowing what this world is about, watching some good friends scream “let me out!” You can see the pressure in people’s eyes, if you look closely. 

What pressures are acting upon your life? Are they environmental or self-constructed? I find something insidious lying in wait for me, underneath the specific pressures of time, task, and duty. Guilt. A far greater pressure, much more powerful in its hiddenness.

The law that promised life proved instead to be the death of me. (Romans 7:10) You have a natural desire to do good, to accomplish things, to provide for your family, and so on. (The “law” in its widest sense.) But when you realize you simply cannot do it, the guilt produces a lethal steam. 

How to let it off? Consider the artful way of the biblical songwriters. Send your complaint to the right address: to God. His forgiveness will give life where the law cannot. He can then channel the pressure and direct the steam to make a beautiful vessel out of you. 

Lord, remove the dross from my silver, so that I may be a vessel for the Silversmith. (Prayer based on Proverbs 25:4.)