By God’s power be overcomers

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”

I wonder if the one who goes by the title Christian and also perceives their self to be a person who has attained all of what the world calls success on their own merits, can grasp being compared to a jar of clay?  You have heard the term “life is fragile, handle with care” and it is, we are easily hurt by words, we get sick, we have accidents and others sometime attack us leaving all kinds lasting scars.   And yet we can by God’s power be overcomers, and not live under the circumstances but live in victory in the middle of the circumstances.

The apostle Paul is sharing the victory of one who is focused on Christ in the middle of life’s storms.  Jesus told you and I the following in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”  Paul the great apostle understood fully that he was a jar of clay, but his God is a mighty warrior and he could do all things through Christ who is his life.

I am often ready to quit when things get hard, when people I love reject or will not even be open to what I am sharing with them, what a pathetic example I can be of looking to self and not to Christ.  Now listen to Paul, ”We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” 

For Paul or for us to live under such conditions we have to keep our eyes on Christ, we have to ignore the flesh and its desires, and run as a runner going for the prize.  I’m not being crushed, sometimes I’m perplexed, but have no understanding of being persecuted.  I call persecuted someone I care for asking me not to talk to them any more or send them emails about what Jesus is doing in my life, and that is not being persecuted.  But this I do know my desire is to have the life of Jesus manifested in my body, in my acts of loving my neighbors and caring for those God has commanded me to care for.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice