In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

In verse 20 the author writes about 4 different articles. In other translations he mentions kitchens, so I just made them spoons. Let's look at the 4 types: clay, wood, silver and gold. Clay is the fastest to make. It is moulded and baked until it is hard. Wood is carved from a solid block and can be ready in only a day or so. Silver and gold is firstly a very scarce resource. To prepare it in order to shape it, also takes long. Is has to be purified from all other material. Once it is made you will only use it in special instances. It is not meant for daily use.

Our lives work the same. We must get rid of all impurities. Once we are clean and ready, we will be used for holy work. It's not to say we won't be used until then, but as the author states, then only we will be ready for any noble work.

Something to strive for...