“This happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead… We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” Abba kept telling me, “‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.” (2 Cor.1:9; 4:7; 12:9)
Heavenly Father, forgive us for not wanting to need the Gospel, your Spirit, close friends as much as you say we do. Sabotage every attempt we make this week not to need Jesus. Though we’d rather be swaggering vessels of togetherness and competency, that’s not the way of the Gospel. On the pottery-wheel of your grace, you’ve designed us to be jars of clay who release the aroma of power-in-weakness, and grace-through-humility.
Though we have a different “this” than the Apostle Paul, you call each of us away from self-sufficieny to a life of Abba-dependence—relying on you, the God who raises the dead. Because you raised Jesus from the dead, we can trust you to bring resurrection life to every place death has brought more death. Thank you for being the “Father of mercies and the God of all comfort” (2Cor.1:3).
Few of us are facing deadly perils like Paul; but many of us are living with injustices that seem unsolvable, heart-wounds that resist healing, and circumstances that threaten to squeeze the joy and hope out of us. So may Jesus increasingly be our treasure, the Gospel our delight, and your grace our sufficiency. May we boast more fully in Jesus that we might boast more freely in our weaknesses. So Very Amen.