Jars of Clay: Fragile and Useful: 2 Corinthians 4:7

Jars of Clay: Fragile and Useful

His power finds its full scope in human weakness.

Verbrugge&Harris 

Jars of clay. Many people enjoy using clay pots to cook in as they claim the pots keep food more tender, flavorful, and moist. Others love them for gardening because of their versatility and the way they provide an aerated environment for plants. One of the biggest disadvantages to using clay jars however, is their fragility. Too quick a change in temperature or not handling carefully enough and the jar breaks or cracks. Paul uses this imagery when describing us. “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). Paul uses jars of clay to convey our human frailty, to communicate our feebleness. Paul says this in a context of explaining why he never loses heart in his ministry. One of the reasons Paul can continue on faithfully in ministry is because in his frailty and in his weakness, God proves Himself strong.  

Feeling Fragile? Trust God

As believers, we have been given this great treasure, the treasure of the gospel, the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). Yet we are met everyday with evidence of our own weaknesses. Spiritually, we still have within us desires of the old man, sinful tendencies and habits that will not die easily, areas of our heart still hardened and not yet conformed to Christ. Physically we have many limitations. Especially now so, we are exhausted, sick, overwhelmed with innumerable tasks. Our to-do lists are longer and more numerous and we don’t have the time or energy to complete them. Mentally we get worn down. In the middle of a conversation we forget what point we were trying to make. We go through the day and have a hard time remembering what we read from the Scriptures just that morning. Our obvious limitations can be discouraging and frustrating. Fragile, weak, tired, confused, or any kind of weakness may be exactly what we need to be because fragile people know they need a strength outside of themselves. Instead of our fragility being something we just push through or find things to compensate for, our limitations and weaknesses should cause us to look to the Lord and to reach for His strength in our weakness, an all-surpassingly great power that is at work for us and in us. Our frailty and weakness is given to us purposefully. God will show Himself strong in the weakness of His people. 

What weakness do you face today? What makes your soul feel faint or your mind weary? What physical limitations are you encountering? All of these things are designed by your Savior to display His great power perfected in your weakness. “If you wake up feeling fragile, remember that God is not, and then trust Him to be everything you need today” (C.S.Lewis). Additionally:

• If you get to the end of the day, worn out, exhausted, ready to throw in the towel, remember that God “does not grow weary or tired”(Isaiah 40:28), and then trust Him to be everything you need.
• If you get a scary diagnosis and you feel weak and finite, remember that God is not. He is God Almighty and He is infinite (Genesis 17:1), and then trust Him to be everything you need as you walk this difficult path. 
• If you face a situation in which you have no idea what to do, remember that God has depths of knowledge and wisdom unsearchable to us (Romans 11:33), and then trust Him to be everything you need and to supply you with the wisdom you ask for (James 1:5). 

The situations we face that emphasize that we are a jars of clay are designed to direct our gaze to the all sufficiency of our God to be everything for us that we need. “His power finds its full scope in human weakness.” 

Fragile and Useful

But jars of clay are not just fragile, they are also useful. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he said, “Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). Though jars of clay are indeed fragile, they are extremely useful, especially so in Paul’s day. Jars were used daily and with multiple uses and functions; they were an essential part of everyday life. So, we too, though we are subject to weakness, can be useful to our Lord and Master. Useful implies being serviceable for a purpose. Our Father is the Potter and we are the clay; we are the work of His hands (Isaiah 64:8). As His workmanship, we have been created for good works, which God has prepared for us that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). Are we being useful to our Master? Are we prepared to do those good works that He has prepared for us? 

When I asked my kids about the things that are useful for them, things that they use on a regular basis, they said things like: their phone, toothbrush, car, bed, and clothes. These are all things that we use purposefully and regularly. Are we useful in that way to our Lord? We may feel inadequate to be an honorable, sanctified, useful vessel to the Lord. But He has promised to supply all we could need to carry out our usefulness. 2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us that God is able to make all grace abound to us in order that we would always have all the sufficiency we need in everything, so that we would have an abundance for every good deed. Just as God shows Himself strong in our weaknesses, He also supplies all we need to walk in the usefulness He calls us to. His Word is the tool which makes us adequate and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). 

Let’s pray;

• We would recognize that we are jars of clay, and we would rest in the surpassingly great power of God and not ourselves (2 Corinthians 4:7).
• we would turn to Christ in our weakness. 
• when we are met with challenges that make us feel overwhelmed, frustrated, weak, tired, or _________________, we would use it as an opportunity to look to the Lord to supply all that we need. 
• God would show us our weaknesses, so that we would not rely on ourselves but on Him.
• we would be useful to Him for His kingdom wherever He has placed us (2 Timothy 2:21).
• We would seek the Lord for the good works that He has called us to do today.
• We would rely on His abundant and sufficient grace to abound toward us so that we would have an abundance for every good work (2 Cor. 9:8).

Photo credit to earl_plannerzone