Why Chipped Crock-pots Are Holy

Karen

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

—1 Peter 4:10

My Crock-Pot is a culinary eyesore. Oh, on the day it was purchased, it was a gorgeous and functional domestic tool—sleek and shiny, with a newfangled “keep warm” feature. But today this kitchen staple sits silently on my pantry shelf, nicked and chipped, practically tuckered out from nearly two decades of use.

Although I hate to admit it, at times I have succumbed to slow-cooker envy, especially when I spy some of the stunning new styles. Some are digital and programmable. Others have cute little clip-on signs to showcase what’s simmering inside just waiting to delight everyone’s taste buds. And then there sits my dilapidated model. Not pretty, but well-loved.

You see, my aging slow cooker has been an important ministry partner to me. It has housed batches of homemade three-alarm chili for the hungry football team. It has served vegetable soup to an exhausted mom who’d just welcomed home a newborn baby after a scary surgical delivery. It has contained savory beef stew that nourished the bodies of a grieving family we invited over to eat after the recent death of a loved one. Most often, it has warmed the tummies of my own family during an ordinary Sunday supper served on our old oak farm table.

I could grouse about the not-so-newness of my Crock-Pot, wishing for a newer model with all the bells and whistles—and sometimes I have. But as long as she’s still chugging, I have determined to be grateful and not grumble. To just keep cooking. And inviting. And washing. And drying. And doing it all over again.

When we share our gifts, talents, and ordinary household items to bless and serve others, we aren’t just being nice. We’re being obedient to God’s Word.

When we have a God-honoring perspective about our possessions and resources, our hearts and homes can become a wheelhouse for ministry. It’s a perspective shift. We don’t offer hospitality—or a home-cooked meal—to impress guests. Instead, we want to refresh them. Our aim is to use our homes as a ministry tool for building God’s kingdom here on earth. To use our gifts to serve others, displaying God’s grace as we do.

When we offer hospitality with gusto, without grumbling,complaining, or fretting over our not-so-nice-anymore stuff, we are doing exactly what pleases God—using our gifts for His glory.

A chipped and nicked Crock-Pot is a holy thing indeed.

Father, may I make it my aim today to open both my heart and home without grumbling, using whatever gifts You have given me to serve others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

What household item do you possess that may not be in the finest condition? Have you used it for ministry in the past? How might you be able to glorify God by using it in the future?