I love clay pots. They remind me of Bible times. In the ancient world, clay jars were cheap, fragile, ordinary, and completely disposable. They cracked easily. They were used for everyday, mundane tasks. The analogy Paul uses would have been easily understood by everyone at the time. In II Corinthians 4:7, he is making a profoundly humbling point about you and me: we are those jars of clay. We are fragile. We get tired, we make mistakes, we feel the weight of anxiety, and we break under the pressures of life. As we age, we sense this uncontrollable frailty even more. We also realize that behind the mask of what money can buy, we are all the same. We are all flesh and bone that will one day die, we will all stand before God, and we will all spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell. We are all just jars of clay. However, for the Christian, we have a treasure inside our jar of clay.
II Corinthians 4:7 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
When God designed us, we were perfect, but sin brought death. No longer would our bodies live without pain and suffering. We must understand that our weakness is not a flaw in God’s design; it’s a strategic choice. If the container were made of flawless gold, people would admire the container. But because the treasure, which is the gospel, is kept in fragile clay, anyone who sees the light pouring out knows it didn’t come from the dirt used to make the clay. They know it came from God. While the cracks in the clay reveal areas where we have failed, it also allows the light of Jesus to shine through, letting all who see us know what is within us. These cracks let the light of Christ shine into a dark world.
The cracks in our clay pots show that our limitations do not disqualify us from being used by God. It is in our weakness that His strength is made perfect. Paul understood this and conveyed this truth in II Corinthians 12:9-10. He had some weakness that was not identified, but it was causing him great distress. He asks God three times to remove whatever the weakness was, but instead, Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” To this Paul replied, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Your limitations do not disqualify you from being used by God; they actually make you the perfect vessel for His strength. When you are at your weakest, His surpassing power becomes undeniably clear.
It is time to make these truths personal. First, we need to embrace the cracks. We need to bury the idea that we will start serving once we have everything together. We are to be obedient by sharing His love and truths with anyone and everyone. If you use your “cracks” as an excuse for not doing more for the Lord, you will miss great and precious blessings that only come from obedience. There will never be a time when things are perfect. Satan will throw everything but the kitchen sink at you to detour your desires. Stop thinking about yourself and think about God’s design to reach the world. He will work through you, but you have to be a willing piece of clay to be molded by His design.
Second, change your focus. It is not about your power; it is about His power that works through you. In Isaiah 40:29, we are told that “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” That’s our God!
Third, we should be in awe that He would use us in His work. We need to thank Him for trusting us with the priceless treasure of His presence that dwells within. It is not something we put on to cover the cracks. It is the Light of Jesus within that filters through the cracks of our jar of clay.
Fourth, our attitudes and thoughts should acknowledge that we are just jars of clay—fragile, ordinary, and imperfect. But through our cracks, His glorious light and surpassing power shine brightly for others to see. May our lives be such a huge reflection of Him that they point entirely to Him.
