Each time he said, “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. 12:9 (NLT) We ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. 2 Cor. 4:7 (NLT)
Heavenly Father, though we’d rather be swaggering vessels of togetherness, or competent trophies of impressiveness, that’s not the way of the Gospel. Help us be more accepting with being fragile jars of clay, releasing the aroma of grace and humility.
Free us from comparison-ism, performance-ism, and busy-ism. Teach us how to live at the pace of grace, by the price-tags of heaven, for an audience of One. May Jesus increasingly be our treasure, the Gospel our delight, and grace our sufficiency.
Father, thank you for your endless patience, inexhaustible forbearance, and great delight in us. How foolish we are to despise our weaknesses, when you call us to boast in them—choosing vulnerability over pretending, and honesty over posing.
May your love be the most compelling, freeing, and transforming influence in our lives this whole Labor Day weekend. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ merciful and mighty name.