Strong Even When Weak

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

(2 Corinthians 4:7–10, ESV)

An excerpt from Sunday’s sermon …

A clay jar is strong, purposeful, even decorative – but there is also a crippling fragility to them.  They are strong, until they are not.  We are often tempted to put on an appearance of strength; we work to appear to others as though we have it all together.  Our goal is to be strong, secure, independent; but life is full of challenges that can quickly reveal our cracks / our weaknesses.

It is important we accept and walk through the challenges of life, seeking God’s purpose, trust, and love from within them.  While it is tempting to avoid or escape them, while it is tempting to pretend “all is good,” we must accept the hardships that come our way to truly realize the power of God available to us.

We have some clay pots that broke by falling, so the pieces were glued back into place.  They serve as a reminder that I am weak on my own, that I am not able on my own to embrace and journey through the challenging parts of life.  May our cracks draw us to the Lord.  May we depend upon God to guide and carry us through the difficult parts of life.

While we have been entrusted with the treasure of knowing Christ, the gospel in us is further proof of the power of God working in and through us despite our weakness.  This is the main theme of 2nd Corinthians.  God triumphs from within our weakness; His strength in us embodies Christ.

A clay jar can look very impressive, but cracks and blemishes are often revealed upon closer inspection.  Let us determine to not focus on looking good but rather to focus on being right with God; this requires us to accept not only our circumstances but also our fragilities.  Let us be open and honest about life, both the joys and hardships … not in complaining or complacency but with trust and confidence, joy and peace.