Pastor Ben’s Ponderings

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
(2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

God calls us “earthen vessels,” or in other translations, “jars of clay.” In Paul’s day, clay jars were very ordinary vessels, easily chipped or broken and often flawed. Seems like an unlikely place for treasures. God’s truth shows us that true beauty lies in what is inside the container and not in the appearance of the vessel. Outwardly, jars of clay show no worth or wealth to human eyes; they are just empty jars. But jars are designed to hold something. Inwardly, we hold the treasure of God Himself, living within us. We receive what we were created to hold.

Sometimes we thank God for cleansing us, but then question Him about our scars as if He missed something when He ran us through the wash.

The next time you are confronted with your scars, remember they show you the times when God refused to let go of you when you were struggling. Scars are the direct result of the process of a wound repaired and is the natural result of the healing process. We get a lot of things wrong. We forget, we fall down, and we sin — jars of clay — but He still entrusts us to hold this precious treasure “that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” So let’s try to remember that those cracks and chips now serve a purpose. It shows the message that shines in and through us, the ministry of reconciliation. What an incredible treasure we carry!

Dear Lord, thank You for trusting us to carry such a great gift in this world. Reveal to us the true beauty in jars of clay — so sturdy, yet so fragile and covered with imperfections — is the treasure we contain. Help us not to mask the scars or fix the pot in our attempt to sell ourselves as something greater than we are. We love you, Lord, and are grateful that You let nothing go to waste by using our worn and scarred vessels as a container for Your glory! Amen.