FragilePottery

"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

This is a bit longer then the passages I normally choose, but it's so good! I was actually having a hard time picking a verse for this week, but my campus Bible study talked about this set of verses on Wednesday. 

I don't know if you've worked with clay, but here's the deal, it's fragile. My parents used to have their own business where my dad would make whistles shaped like animals out of clay and my mom would paint them. I remember having to be careful when they were around. Before they go through the kiln and they're still wet they're easily smooshed back into a lump. After they're dry, before firing, they are crumbly. Finally, after they go through the intense heating process, they are so fragile. Sometimes pieces will explode in the kiln--when this happens it can seriously damage the other pieces. Things made out of clay can be easily broken. 

Why would Paul choose to liken us to jars of clay? Doesn't he call us to be strong and stand firm in the faith? How can we stand firm in the faith if we are breakable? 

He's proving a point that we are nothing without God. Nothing. Without God we are breakable and fragile. We are FragilePottery. 

If you apply pressure to all sides of a jar of clay, it will succumb and crumble. But verse 8 says that we will be hard pressed on all sides and not be crushed. We won't be crushed because we have the power of Christ in our FragilePottery. He is our support system. 

How often do you get confused? I don't know about you, but there are somedays that I am just confused all the time, my brain just doesn't click things together. We can be perplexed, but we are not in despair because we have the hope of Christ in us. 

As Christians we face persecution, I think I've touched on this before. Paul knew what being persecuted was like. But we are not alone, we are not abandoned. Even when things seem to be at their darkest, we are not alone. 

If you strike a pot down, it will break, but we are not destroyed. 

How awesome is it that we have the best support system ever inside of us? We will go through trying times, but our FragilePottery will not be broken. 

God Bless