Your Weakness, God's Glory

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7 NIV).

In the same way God spoke light into the darkness at creation, today he speaks light into the darkness of our hearts. He fills us with the light of the Holy Spirit, so we’re able to see God’s face, Jesus, with greater clarity even as he transforms us into the likeness of Christ.

Our brother, Paul, explains we are jars of clay--fragile, chipped, imperfect--exactly as God designed us to be so others will see the “all-surpassing power” of God through our fractured and shattered lives. We stand as monuments of God’s grace, and we bear an inscription written in God’s own hand: “Within this earthen container, the One True God is at work.”

Your weaknesses are a gift. You are God’s jar of clay, designed exactly the way he intended. In the places you are weak, God is strong. Your weaknesses are an opportunity for God’s light to shine even brighter from within you.

You don’t have to look good. So, stop trying! Just be who you are, a frail human designed by God to reveal his glory. Truthfully, we could use a whole lot more authenticity in the church. If you’re hurt, say it; if you’re angry, admit it; if you’re in love, show it; if you’re wrong, confess it; if you’re in need, reveal it.


Jon Walker