Glory in the Ordinary
Glory in the Ordinary
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
Growing up, one of my favorite bands was Jars of Clay. Their song Worlds Apart remains one of my all-time favorites because of how honestly it portrays our brokenness.
“I am the only one to blame for this.”
“Soaring on the wings of selfish pride, I flew too high.”
“More and more I need You now, I owe You more each passing hour.”
I must admit that no matter how much I loved the band, I never really connected the phrase “jars of clay” to this verse until preparing this week’s sermon. Studying the passage gave me a fresh appreciation for the imagery.
Jars of clay were ordinary, common, inexpensive containers that everyone owned. There was nothing impressive about them except what they carried. The value of the jar was found in what was inside, not in the appearance of the outside.
Paul calls us jars of clay in 2 Corinthians 4:7. God has placed His treasured message and His powerful Spirit inside of us. Our value is not found in our appearance, achievements, or abilities, but in what God has chosen to place within us.
Reflecting back on Worlds Apart, the song captures just how fragile we really are. We are tempted by pride, overwhelmed by shame, distracted by the offerings of the world, and easily cracked by pressure. Yet these fragile jars are exactly what God chooses to use.
God has placed His treasure in jars of clay—you and me. Why? So that the surpassing power would belong not to us, but to God.
You may feel unimpressive, inadequate, or unnoticed. Join the club. God is not calling us to be famous, perfect, or self-sufficient. He is calling us to carry His message in our feeble bodies—as we are, not as we should be.
God treasures you and places His power within you. You are not overlooked by Him. You are loved, sought, redeemed, and invited to carry the greatest treasure in the world.
The Cost of Non-Discipleship
The Cost of Non-Discipleship
Scripture: Luke 9:23–25 alongside 2 Corinthians 4:4
Think on this for a moment:
Following Jesus costs something—but so does refusing Him.
Everything has a price, and the price is your life. We can choose to spend our lives building our own kingdom, chasing pleasure, and trusting money or success to satisfy us. The sad reality is that deep down we know those things never truly satisfy, yet the temptation to trust them remains strong within us.
The cost of following Jesus can seem steep and less enticing. A life of denial instead of extravagance. A love for others rather than a life centered on self. A life of obedience instead of what appears to be freedom.
For a long time, we have acted as though the only costly choice is choosing to follow Jesus. But every path carries a cost. Rejecting Jesus has a cost too—a cost of anxiety instead of peace, isolation instead of purpose, slavery to sin instead of freedom in Christ, and eternal separation instead of eternal security.
Today, I urge you not to be short-sighted. Do not fall for the shiny distractions this world offers. Instead, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).
“You are spending your life on something.
Money. Comfort. Achievement. Pleasure. Jesus.
One day, every investment will reveal its return.”
2 Corinthians 4:4 says:
“In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Open your eyes to what a life spent following Jesus truly offers—and what a life spent rejecting Him truly costs.
Spend your life on what lasts.
Not choosing is still a choice!
No Choice Is Still a Choice
Scripture: Matthew 8:19–22
“19 And a scribe came up and said to him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ 20 And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ 21 Another of the disciples said to him, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ 22 And Jesus said to him, ‘Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.’”
A popular gift among children and teenagers is a handwritten coupon book for their loved ones. The coupons may include things like cutting the grass, babysitting for free, or unloading the dishwasher. I firmly believe many of these coupons are given with no intention of ever having them cashed in.
Imagine the conversation:
“I would like my free babysitting tomorrow!”
“Well…tomorrow night doesn’t work. I already have plans. If only you had asked for today.”
“Oh, today works too! What time can you be here?”
“Yeah…today isn’t going to work either. If only you had asked yesterday…”
On and on the excuses would come.
This is the picture Jesus is bringing forth in Matthew 8. We say we want to follow Him, but we want to follow tomorrow…or later down the road. Today we have plans. Today we need to take care of a few things. We want to follow Jesus—just not right now.
We learned on Sunday that no choice is still a choice. Delaying a decision is making a decision.
We are all tempted by this. We are all prone to kick the can down the road so we do not have to deal with an issue in the moment.
This procrastination creates problems with wrinkled laundry, moldy dishes, and unfinished responsibilities, but I am less concerned about those things.
How does delayed obedience affect your spiritual life?
What areas of your life are you postponing surrender in?
What do you know needs to be done, but you keep putting off until tomorrow?
Not to scare you, but to remind you of the truth: James 4 teaches us that our life is but a mist. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, though the future occupies so much of our thinking.
Delayed obedience is still disobedience.
What is God asking you to surrender today? A relationship? A habit? Your pride? Your time?
Stop pushing obedience into a future that is never promised. Follow Jesus today.
The Gospel Doesn’t Need Gimmicks
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:2
“But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”
God works through truth, not tricks.
We have all seen gimmicky gospel presentations. I have watched deceitful “healers” manipulate audiences into believing false power. I have seen emotional messages designed merely to produce raised hands. I have observed fear being used as a tactic to try to “scare the hell” out of people.
In all of these faulty presentations, the speaker believes they must add something to the gospel in order for people to think it is worth their time and their life.
Our goal is not to be salesmen swindling a customer. True faith does not come through trickery. While gimmicks may produce more hands raised, more seats filled, or even more baptisms, our calling is not to tell people what they want to hear. Our calling is to speak the truth.
Why do so many resort to gimmicks? Because gimmicks can hide the hard truths. Gimmicks feign power. Gimmicks conceal the cost of discipleship. Gimmicks focus on the immediate rather than a lifetime of faithfulness. Gimmicks may work for traveling personalities, but they do not sustain faithful ministry over time.
Here are some truths many people would rather ignore:
Love is not merely affirmation.
Actions have consequences.
Hell is real.
Jesus is the only way to be saved.
God is both loving and just.
I know this devotion may not feel especially fun or uplifting, but I hope you see that we care more about truth than entertainment. My goal is not simply to make you feel better but to point you to what is better.
The gospel is already powerful enough. Sinners become sons and daughters. The lost are found. The wayward are welcomed home. There is forgiveness for all our sins and hope for eternity.
We do not need to gimmick the gospel. Jesus is enough.
Today, ask yourself: Am I looking for a faith that entertains me or a Savior who transforms me?
Ministry by Mercy
Key Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1
“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.”
Paul is the ultimate example of God using the least, the last, and the lost to bring about His purpose and plan. Before meeting Jesus, Paul was violently opposed to Christianity, persecuting followers of “the Way” wherever he could find them.
Why does this matter for you?
Because God uses broken people in His perfect plan.
Paul has recently written that he is completely insufficient for the work he has been called to do, and here in chapter 4 he makes it clear: I have this ministry opportunity only by the mercy of God.
Do you ever feel like you are not good enough for God?
Many of us do not even feel worthy to be loved by God, much less used by God to help others know and follow Him.
Yet God loves you and likes you…even with your inconsistent prayer life, the dust collecting on your Bible, your selfish choices, and your sinful actions.
Do you believe that?
Do you believe that God desires you?
Do you believe that God sought and bought you?
The same God who can change you from sinner to son and rebel to redeemed is the same God who wants to work in, through, and around you to make Jesus known. You probably are not called to vocational ministry, but you are called to live as the aroma of Christ, impacting every environment you enter.
You have been given a ministry—to your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors—solely by the mercy of God, not the merit of your actions.
So today, stop disqualifying yourself from what God may want to do through you. Ask Him to use your ordinary life to make Jesus known.