GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.  (2 Corinthians 4:8-12, NIV)

We are jars of clay, chipped and blemished, fragile by God’s design in order to show the glorious light of God shining through our cracks and crevices. People should look at us and say, “What’s this? That plain jar of clay isn’t creating such a glorious light; it must be the light of heaven contained within. The peace and joy and love I see in that light must be from God.”

And so our older brother Paul says we can rest assured that our hardships are not meant to defeat us. God is still at work in our lives, even if we’re unable to see his hand at work.

We may be hard pressed, yet our hope in God keeps us from being crushed; perplexed, yet our hope in God keeps us from despair; persecuted, yet our hope in God tells us we’re not abandoned; struck down, yet our God keeps us from being destroyed. We are at the crossroads where the street called “When You Can’t See God’s Hand” intersects with the avenue of “Then Trust God’s Heart.”

And God says his heart is not to hurt us, but to help us as we journey back to heavenly wholeness with him. His good plan for us doesn’t mean we won’t be hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down. It means we can remain filled with hope, even as we pick ourselves up off the ground.

God’s plan is that every time we face these hardships, we learn to trust God a little bit more, so that every time the hardships press in, we can be a little stronger. God is our strength, not our own ability to carry the weight.

God doesn’t ask us to “work up” this hope – pretending we’re joyful when our whole world is collapsing around us. Rather, our hardships allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, developing joy and peace – teaching us to stop trusting in our own understanding and instead to trust that God is at work within and around our lives.

Paul encourages us to press on toward Christ-likeness. In order to be like Jesus, however, we must be men and women acquainted with sorrow, just like Lord Jesus, who hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, only to rise again.

In him we place our hope, and it is a hope that will not disappoint.

What does this mean?

• See your problems as leading you to be more like Jesus – Ask God to help you see how your problems are helping you grow toward Christ-likeness. Ask God to show you how your hardships are working for you and not against you. Ask him to help you embrace a peace that passes all understanding.
• Skip the ‘try harder’ mentality – The Christian walk is difficult enough without beating ourselves up about the need to “try harder.” Rest in Christ and allow him to give you peace, even as you face hardship. Your ability to “try harder” pales in comparison to Jesus’ ability to be your strength in the midst of trouble. By this, you will discover that God is strongest in your moments of weakness.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV)

In the same way God spoke light into the darkness at creation, today he speaks light into the darkness of our hearts. He fills us with the light of the Holy Spirit, allowing us to see the face of Christ with greater clarity as he transforms us into the likeness of Christ. We carry God’s glory, and it shines from us so all the world can see that our God is an awesome God.

The glory that shines from within us is not our own; it is God’s glory and his alone. Our brother, Paul, explains that we are jars of clay – fragile, chipped, imperfect – exactly as God designed us to be. In this way, others see the “all-surpassing power” of God through our weakened frames and shattered lives. We are monuments of God’s grace with an inscription written in God’s own hand: “Within this earthen container, the One True God is at work.”

Yet we try to put our own “shine” on our simple jars of clay. We maneuver and posture to make our jars look better. We decorate the outside with ecclesiastical “vain glories” that we call image, power, position, wealth. Quite simply, we try to make ourselves appear more than what we are, failing to grasp that God loves us just for who we are – his own creations.

When we try to make it look like we are the ones who shine, we inevitably reveal our “easily surpassable power.” Yet this gives us greater understanding that in our weakness, God is strong. His light shines through even greater; his strength is revealed when we acknowledge we are God’s jars of clay.

What does this mean?

• See your weaknesses as a gift – You are God’s jar of clay, designed exactly the way he intended. Your weaknesses are an opportunity for God’s light to shine even brighter from within you.
• Stop trying to make yourself look good – Just be who you are, a frail human designed by God to reveal his glory. Frankly, we could use a whole lot more authenticity in the church. If you’re hurt, say it; if you’re angry, resolve it; if you’re in love; show it; if you’ve made a mistake, confess it; if you’re in need, reveal it.
• Don’t make others think they have to appear good – Accept each other in love, just as Christ accepted you – a jar of clay with chips and cracks.
• Magnify the glory of God – Magnify the glory of God by simply being you and letting him shine through. Magnify the glory of God in others, instead of magnifying their weaknesses.

Jon Walker is the teaching pastor for “The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotionals,” and resident writer at www.GraceCreates.com. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.