text: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18
I have to admit, I always got Paul’s metaphor wrong. I, as I tend to do, made it all about me. I pictured myself as a crystal clear glass jar with a lump of grey sculpting clay inside. My jar was no fragile vessel. This was thick, sturdy, sparkling glass, able to withstand high temperatures or clumsy hands. And that lump of clay was my life, ready and waiting for God to sculpt me, or more likely, ready and waiting for me to sculpt me into what I thought my life should look like.
As it would be, I’m not made of sturdy, sparkling glass. My vessel is frail. Under the pressure of this world, I crack. And that sculpting I thought I could do with my own life? It broke me. Completely. Exactly how He planned it.
The jar, it turns out, isn’t what we should be occupied with. Benjamin Jowett writes, “There is something wrong when the vessel robs the treasure of its glory…when the picture takes second place to the frame.”
What God places inside our vessel isn’t a shapeless, colorless lump of clay. It’s treasure. The spectacular, brilliant, blinding treasure of the gospel. And He’s entrusted it to our weak, broken jars. Because it’s through our cracks and holes that the Light shines through.
We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
We aren’t beautiful, unbreakable jars holding clay, we are frail, weak jars made of clay. And yet we’re holding God’s richest and most glorious treasure.
Sisters in Christ, let’s thank Him.
Let’s thank Him for our cracks.
Let’s thank Him that outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
Let’s thank Him for the light and momentary troubles that are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Let’s thank Him for our fresh start.
I used to try and cover all my cracks. Now God is using those cracks to let his light shine and heal others. Keep letting your light shine!
He takes simple clay pots and fills them with His glory. Fragile and flawed, cracked and leaky clay pots with holes are His choice vessels.
Thank you Lord and Saviour Jesus for leading me to read this wonderful words of ‘cracks’ (sins) and ‘holes’ (deep sins)
Thank you Lord and Saviour Jesus for leading me to read this wonderful words of ‘cracks’ (sins) and ‘holes’ (deep sins)
Because it’s through our cracks and holes that the Light shines through !!! Amen ! Glory be to God forever and ever ! Amen.
Oh do I ever LOVE this! He shines through where my cracks are. EXACTLY why He uses the broken. Gonna stop trying to seal those cracks!
It's almost counterintuitive to think that the things that might be breaking us down at this very moment are really strengthening us, and preparing us for the weight of glory. I pray that when life starts breaking me down, or I start letting minor afflictions hurt me, I remember that it's for a purpose. I pray that I know He will lead me through it because He wants so much more for me. I pray that I value the precious gift God has offered and placed in my messed up, broken jar, and take care to let it shine through my cracks.
Dealing with pre-teen 12yr old twins, 1 girl & 1 boy that are FILLED with insecurities- I will tell them what you were told Pretty-Talkative 1 !!
What a wonderful way to tell them that they matter!!
Thanx, and Blessings to you! :)
I always complain about my cracks, my frailness, my weakness. But after reading this, I know that my cracks, my fraility, my weakness isn't bad. It is letting the light of God shine. It is so easy to get caught up in bad and not see the light and the good.
thanks all for the verses. I get the replies in e-mail and saw it then, but for some reason, when I first came on the page, it just said "Jars of clay" or that's all I got, don't know why. guess I missed it but have them and have read them.