SCRIPTURE:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9
OBSERVATION:
Do you know what a jar of clay is? When I first read this verse, it was kind of hard for me to understand because I didn’t. Today, we hardly use jars of clay, but in the first century when Paul penned Second Corinthians, jars of clay were cheap, common, fragile vessels that people used to store items in. In other words, jars of clay were like Tupperware.
Paul is saying you’re like tupperware. You are ordinary. You are fragile. You are not special…BUT what is inside of you makes you special. It’s what you hold that makes you special. Tupperware with nothing inside it? Not special. Tupperware with $1,000,000 in it? Pretty special, don’t you think?
Without God, you are like an empty tupperware. But when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit enters into you, and you house the Spirit of God Himself. And it is this––God within you––that makes you special. It is the gifts, and talents, and passions, and testimony that He placed inside you that makes you special. And because God Himself has made His home within you, you have the power to overcome any struggle that comes your way within you.
You may feel the weight of the world closing in on you, but you will not be crushed because His Spirit will empower you to fight back. Your mind may be perplexed, but you will not be in despair, for He will give you vision and clarity to move forward in lockstep with Him. Others may persecute you, but you will never be abandoned because He is always with you. And you may be struck down, but you will not be destroyed, for God has promised to redeem all situations for your good.
APPLICATION:
You and I are merely vessels. Our flesh makes us fragile. Alone, we are ordinary people. But with God, we are His extraordinary people. You are a vessel that holds the most precious, powerful, and important thing one could ever hold––the Spirit of God Himself. Apart from God, you can do nothing, but with God, you can do all things through Him who gives you strength.
No matter what anybody says or has said about you, you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are so loved. You are one of a kind. And there is nobody on the face of this earth like you because God made you to be different. Special. Set apart. And yes, even if there’s someone you think is more qualified or better than you to take on this task, God still chooses you. He created everyone, knows everything about everyone, and God still chooses you.
God uses broken, ordinary people to do extraordinary things so that those around you know without a shadow of a doubt that it could only have been God who did the impossible. You are a vessel that exists not only to carry the presence of God, but more importantly, to put the presence, power, and glory of God on display through your life.
Today, choose to be a vessel for God. Carry His presence to those around you. Let Him show His power through your weakness. Allow others to experience His glory and goodness through your life. You are tupperware, and you are special because you hold Someone who is the Source of all things.
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You for your presence, power, and glory. I may be tupperware, but I am special because You live within me! May I simply be a vessel for You. Use my life so that others can come to know You. I surrender to You. It’s not about me; it’s all about You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen
