I Need This!
📜 The Word
“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 4:7
🌎 The World Behind the Word
A few new original songs I wrote in this one— at the site (email doesn’t make it terribly easy to link music)…
A true story:
It slowly found its way into my home, my temple. It only hinted at its existence through brief moments of tapping, an occasional poke. I’d look up and think, “huh? oh well”. Nothing to see here. That was Friday afternoon. The intruder kept sneaking up on me. On small step at a time until it started to reveal its ugly purpose.
Everything I did reminded me of the little monster— I couldn’t hardly open the door to my truck, put on my socks, drink a glass of water or type here in front of this screen. It all began with a side glance but soon an unfriendly companion would walk with me everywhere I went. I was no longer the master of my home. My wife, near, sat in her every-day pain and I strutted around pretending I was tougher than she is, “see, I can handle it— where is the ibuprofen”?
The best I can tell, it’s tennis elbow.
🎾
What a dumb name for something so painful. Okay— some smart-aleck named it “lateral epicondylitis” but that’s because those folks have no sense of humor, or humanity. I can write it (through ouch and grrrrr), but I can’t say it. It should be called the “Grip Reaper”, “Backhand Betrayer”, or how about the “Lateral Curse of Job”?
This thing has been front of mind for me since Saturday. Last night around 2AM it was pretty bad— I never thought I would wish for a restless, toss and turn night, but nope, I had to remain completely unmoving, in pain and terror of even my pillow!
At some point though— the three words hit me like a bolt of pure energy. Like the flood lights came on to illuminate the world for me. What came?
I NEED THIS
…and you know what? I smiled and slept— partially healed and excited about the lesson I was about to learn!
❓ The Meaning
Let’s crack open the verse quickly because I have a lot to say about this little ride. What does the verse mean? The jars: cheap, breakable, and disposable are, by design, intended to carry something of great value.
The Greek is “ostrakinois skeuesin” meaning, quite literally “cheap, breakable, disposable pottery.” They were used for trash, sewage, storage of unimportant things and mass-produced with no artistry or value.
Paul is saying:
“Treasure”
The gospel, Christ-in-you, your living sacrifice!
in “Jars of Clay”
human bodies, minds, personalities and our weaknesses!
“so that”
by design!! Intentional!
we have “Surpassing power”
Greek (“Hyperbole”) meaning “excessive, beyond measure”
Nothing poetic about it—this a lesson in life!
God chooses a weak container on purpose to preserve a greater purpose. If we looked pretty, like fine China, people would recognize the dishes— not the Creator!
God did it with Jesus— a seemingly short, unassuming, rather weak common man— a “carpenter”. Someone we still dress up like fine China, perhaps unfortunately, but his immense power was within, not embodied from the outside.
So, if the container is weak, we are compelled to look for other explanations for its greatness and who do we find?
We find GOD!
🌿 Covenant Contrast
Old Covenant thinking (misapplied):
1. ”I need to fix myself before God will save me”
2. ”My weakness disqualifies me”
3. ”I must appear strong to be credible”
New Covenant living (Epistle to the Romans 12:1):
1. No! God needs your “unfixedness” to remain visible.
2. No! Your weakness is how the power of God gets asserted!
3. No! Strength actually hides God! Weakness reveals Him!
You live that way and you’ll turn more heads, even in your suffering, than any super model or epic cowboy from the movies!
🤵 Pastoral Word
I came across this when I was studying this verse:
“Don’t mistake the electricity for the light bulb”
Divine power is intentionally housed in human limitation so that God remains the most obvious explanation for any true transformation to be had.
As I wrote about before (link below):
2 Corinthians 12:7–10
“A thorn was given me in the flesh… to keep me from becoming conceited…
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses…”
A gift! This “thorn” keeps me aligned. It keeps me awake (literally!). It keeps me real.
…and Jesus in Gethsemane
Luke 22:42
“Not my will, but yours be done…”
Or James…
Jame 12:4
“Consider it pure joy… when you face trials… because the testing produces maturity.”
I can go on and on.
But I pause here now.
My wife Kati has suffered more than anyone I know— not to compare to other’s suffering— but for about 20 years it’s been a difficult struggle for the whole family. Especially for Kati. I mostly always understood the pain— I wasn’t oblivious to it. I wanted it to go away just as she did— probably for different reasons. But it always felt like a curse.
It’s actually funny now, last night as this was all revealed to me, I woke up in a fantastic mood! I actually put the beginning of a song together (I wrote it down):
“I’m gonna be a happy man, just because I can!”
“I’m gonna give my love away, just because I am!”
But, as God would have it, it was a challenging day as it revealed itself to me. My wife Kati was being a turkey, or maybe I was. She was crabby and judgy— ok, maybe it was me. By the end of the day, I recognized this was all icing on the cake— a knock on the door from the Man Himself!
“Haven’t I already told you what this is about” as I drove home. “You had it revealed to you” as I walked in the house. “Don’t waste the gift” as I banged my elbow on the fridge and said “golly!” to the universe!
So Kati— and all my beloveds out there— here is what I now understand…
My progression to transformation:
It took me only one try to create this image— It almost never comes out the first try!!
Kati— I love you, and I want you to be healed but I accept the treasure within you no matter what!!!
It’s a long time coming for us to have some play time, travel and laugh together. We can do it together, and be grateful for what we have. Thorns, the Tendon of Affliction, arthritis has no power over us.
… so yea, if you wanna do that Church marriage class in a few weeks— Okay by me.
(God— if that last sentence somehow disappears before it reaches everyone’ s email box, I’m okay with it just this one time— leave the rest of the stuff above in though, please and thank you!!)
🙏 Pray
Dear God,
I marvel at this body—
this temple .
I am grateful for the silent work
of my lungs and the rhythmic fidelity of my heart.
I refuse to see this body as a project to be fixed;
I see it as a miracle to be inhabited.
Thank You for the gift of the senses
—the ability to taste,
to touch,
and to hear the symphony of the world.
I am awake, and that is enough.
My prayer today is putting my feet on the floor
recognizing the gift you have given me
Amen.
🔥 Carry this With You Today
Every scar got a story, every loss got a cry,
Every tear learned to laugh after it learned the why.