jars of clay
One time when I was watching the news, they did a human interest story on a lady who worked at Value Village and found a whole lot of cash in a ratty old purse. I think it was around $400 or something. Of course in the end the lady did the right thing and hunted down the lady who had donated the purse, returning all that cash to her and that’s why they were doing this news report on her. The story warmed my heart, but it also got me wondering what I would do in that situation. Well, since then, I’ve been to several second-hand stores, and I often think to myself, “I wonder… if I stick my hand in the pocket of this purse, will I pull out a wad of cash?”
There’s a verse found in II Corinthians 4:7 that says, But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
In terms of who I am as a Christian, I am that clay jar. That treasure in the jar of clay (or, if you’d rather, that wad of cash in that ratty old purse), is Christ in me. I am weak and easily broken. I appear to be insignificant. There are stories in the Bible told of many individuals who seemed weak and insignificant. The author who wrote II Corinthians, Paul, wrote many of the books found in the New Testament. They were written as letters to different cities. In some of those letters, Paul refers to some weakness that he has. Even though we never hear for sure what Paul’s weakness was, it’s been suggested that he may have had anything from bad eye sight to a speech impediment. However, Paul, while referring to his weakness, was also able to boast in the power found through God. Paul knew, that if he was a perfect person, without any weaknesses, he would probably be tempted to a) boast about himself as if it were his own doing and b) forget to praise God for making him who he is and c) forget to lean entirely on God for strength to do the things he was doing (traveling around that world, sharing the Good News of God’s incredible love!). For me, I know that when I am at my weakest, tiredest moments, God is totally able to shine that much brighter and I will know that I am only able to do what I’m doing because of God’s strength in me.
I begged the Lord three times to take this problem away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.” So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can live in me. For this reason I am happy when I have weaknesses, insults, hard times, sufferings, and all kinds of troubles for Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong. II Corinthians 12:8-10