By Dean Collins
If you grew up in the 60s or 70s and attended church, then you were likely taught to dress up for church on Sunday. I suppose I heard a few variations of why: We bring our best to God, we want to look our best for God, or maybe even the classic, “Cleanliness is next to godliness.” That last one, I think, had to do with cleaning your fingernails, washing your hair, and polishing your shoes on Saturday so that you would be presentable at church.
As I grew up, I figured out that the disciples were not likely to have been very clean when they spent time with Jesus. Traveling dusty roads and camping out while following Jesus probably meant they would not have been considered presentable for church when I was growing up.
Sometimes those of us who follow Jesus project an image of needing to have it all together. We need to look right and certainly act right, particularly if we are going to be known as leaders in the church. In recent years, the unofficial dress code for attending church gatherings has become more casual. Yet we still sometimes want to maintain the appearance of having it all together. After all, how would people who don’t know Jesus hear the message if we don’t have it all together?
In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul makes clear that the power of the gospel is not dependent on how well we have it together. Paul is not suggesting that Christians shouldn’t strive to have the mind of Christ or demonstrate the love of Christ. But he does remind us that, at best, we are broken vessels.
“But we have this treasure in earthenware pots, so that the extraordinary quality of the power may belong to God, not to us.”
We are not the treasure. Even at our best, we fall short. The grace of God saves us, and the power of the gospel shines through us. We must be clear that our focus should never be on attracting people to ourselves. Rather, the focus should always be on the One who died for us and rose from the dead.
Just as Paul makes clear that the treasure is Jesus and what He did for the world through His death and resurrection, he goes on to explain that those of us who believe in Jesus and still live in broken vessels will inevitably experience difficulties in this world.
“We are under all kinds of pressure, but we are not crushed completely; we are at a loss, but not at our wits’ end; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are cast down, but not destroyed. We always carry the death of Jesus about in the body, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our body. Although we are still alive, you see, we are always being given over to death because of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal humanity. So this is how it is: death is at work in us—but life in you!”
Even in our deepest and most difficult seasons of life, God sustains us and uses us to reveal the power of the gospel to the world.
Father, today we bring our brokenness to You and ask that You shine through us. Thank You for allowing us to be used as vessels of Your love and grace to those around us. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
2 Corinthians 4:13-18 ESV
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