Jars of Clay

Don’t you just love when a verse or a worship song keeps popping up?  When this happens, I feel like God is trying to get my attention.  He definitely has something he wants to share. 

Last weekend I went to a funeral.  The pastor called it a celebration of life, and I just loved that.  During the service, he shared 2 Corinthians 4:7-18.  It goes like this…

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  12 So Then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.  13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”  Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause

thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.  16  Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  17  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

The pastor talked about how the woman who passed away really lived out this passage.  She didn’t have it easy.  She had cancer, and it was not an easy road for her.  However, she was a joyful person.  She loved to bake and cook for others even when things were tough.  She truly fixed her eyes on the unseen even in the hard times. 

Then the other night at GriefShare this verse came up again.  They were discussing how nobody grieves perfectly.  There isn’t just one way to grieve, but there are some ways that definitely aren’t helpful.  So they pointed us towards this verse so we can see how Paul lived out difficult situations.  And let’s be honest, Paul went through some hard stuff. 

So, what do I take away from this verse?  What do I feel like God is saying to me? In verses 8-18, we see that Paul suffers.  We all know that Jesus also suffered.  Goodness, the Bible is full of people who went through trials and difficult times...Job, Mary, Daniel…the list could go on and on.  Suffering is not unique to you or me.  When we are going through a hard time, we often feel weak.  And we are weak.  We are jars of clay. I think He wants me to embrace my weakness.  It's okay to be weak.  Why?  Because that is when we realize just how much we need God and His Son. 

In these verses we see that though Paul is weak, he isn't crushed.   This is because he had God.  Our jar of clay might be weak and crack, but God, and only God, can keep it from shattering.  We are weak, but He is strong. I can't get through the difficult things in my life without Him.  He gets all the glory! 

I feel like He is trying to tell me to keep focusing on Him and keep growing in my faith.  He wants me to keep my eyes focused on the eternal instead of the temporary.  As I do that, I think He wants me to share the Gospel.  He wants me to an open vessel who He can pour out of. He wants me to share my faith and His love with those around me.

Do these verses speak to you?  If so, what do you get from them?  I love that God's word can speak to us all a little bit differently.  God is good!