Chosen to Contain and Convey: Another Way
"Like a chosen vessel being filled—my purpose is not to impress, but to contain and convey His life."
Based on eManna: A Chosen Vessel
Photo Credit: Unsplash
This reflection from eManna draws attention to a powerful phrase in Acts 9:15—“a chosen vessel.” It challenges us to rethink the way we view our calling as believers. Paul wasn’t simply called to do for Christ; he was chosen to contain Christ. That distinction carries incredible significance. A vessel is not a tool or a weapon—it is meant to hold something valuable, even sacred. And Saul of Tarsus, once a persecutor of Christ’s followers, was set apart to bear, contain, and express the very life of Christ to others.
The devotional also ties together other passages from Paul’s letters—Romans 9:23 and 2 Corinthians 4:7—to show how central this idea of being a vessel is to Paul’s theology. In each case, the emphasis is not on human strength or effort, but on God filling and expressing His glory through earthen containers. This calling is not limited to Paul. We too are chosen vessels, crafted to carry and convey the life and light of Christ to the world.
Personalized Journal Entry – in the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You were never designed to function in your own strength, but to contain the fullness of My life. Before I formed you, I prepared you as a vessel of mercy, to display the riches of My glory. You were made to receive Me, not merely to serve Me with your own resources. Just as I told Ananias about Saul, I say over you—I have chosen you to bear My name, not as a badge of achievement but as a conduit of My presence.
You are not your own. I have purchased you, shaped you, and filled you. Within you resides this treasure—My life, My power, My love—poured into an earthen vessel, so that no one will mistake the source. I did not call you to be impressive in yourself but to manifest My Son through you. I do the filling; you simply remain yielded.
When you feel unworthy, remember Saul, who became Paul—not because of pedigree, effort, or worthiness, but because he was willing to be poured into and poured out. My power is perfected in your frailty, not diminished by it. My grace flows where there is space. Let Me be the content; you be the container. And together, we will reach the Gentiles, the kings, the sons and daughters you encounter daily—by My life in you, not your effort for Me.
Scripture references: Romans 9:23; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 4:7; Acts 9:15; 2 Corinthians 12:9
Prayer of Trust
Father, I thank You for making me not a tool to be used up, but a vessel to be filled and poured out again and again with the life of Christ. I rest in the beauty of being chosen—not for performance, but for presence. I rejoice in the treasure within, confident that Your life in me is sufficient for whatever You allow me to walk through today. Keep me mindful that my role is not to produce, but to contain and convey the indwelling Christ. What a privilege it is to be Your vessel.