Jars of Clay

Jars of Clay. October 15, 2022.

I was not planning for my next post to be about this subject, but maybe I'm not the only one that needs to hear it. With everything that has been going on in this nation lately, and the world at large for that matter, I found myself reflecting on my life more often than in previous years, and I asked myself some questions. All these years, did I pursue my own dreams or did I pursue the plans and dreams God had for my life? Did I truly trust in the Lord or did I rely on my own understanding and wisdom?  Did I obey every time He asked me to step out in faith? Well, that I can tell you for sure it's a "No".

Reading the passage below brought me to the realization that many times throughout my life I did not step up, or speak out, or pursue a certain opportunity out of the fear that what was in me was not good enough to be heard, or to make it happen, or succeed...that I was not wise enough, or strong enough, or talented enough for the task at hand. And thinking like that, I was actually relying more on what I could do than on what God could do through me. I was full of self, when God wanted me to be full of Him.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:7)

And the truth is, we were never meant to accomplish things on our own. We were never meant to face the battles alone. We were never meant to succumb to fear or come out of a situation as victims.

Though weak, God's power is made perfect in us.

“Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-10)

Though broken or wounded, He is the ultimate Healer who can bind us up and restore us.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)

Though rejected or feeling insignificant, the Creator defines the purpose of a vessel and it is Him who gives it its value.

“everyone who is called by My Name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:7)

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with You.” (Psalm 139:13-18)

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26)

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)

And though we are merely jars of clay, we are able to do all that God calls us to do because of His power at work within us.

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

And so, my friends, I want to encourage you, and myself, that from now on we will be more intentional in living life daily for the Lord, and walking with Him, seeking to do His will and not our own, and obeying Him when He calls us to step out in faith. Though we do not know what the rest of this year holds, or what is going to happen next year, or how many more years of grace the Lord will give us, we can choose today to start living a life of surrender to the Lord. He is the Creator of the Universe and He created us for His glory. Let us then live for Him.