"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." (2 Cor. 4:7)
"There is irony in this description of a treasure in earthen vessels. Who would store a treasure in something so fragile? There is a reason that God chose to communicate the gospel in this way: to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us." - James Thompson
For years, I did not feel qualified to do ministry. In fact, I tried to do other things. I was never a ministry major until I eventually went and obtained a master's degree. I had other aspirations, but God kept pulling me in the direction of ministry. Still, to this day, I continue to pursue training and education because I feel I can do better. However, God continues to use me despite all my faults and inadequacies.
I often hear people express hesitation concerning some aspect of ministry. I could never teach a class. I am not evangelistic. I am not a good speaker. I am too young. I am too old. I have made too many mistakes. Many of these same hesitations are expressed in Scripture by people like Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, and others. Our doubts concerning our abilities do not disqualify us from ministry. If anything, they make us more qualified for the tasks God is calling us to.
God uses frail, imperfect, unqualified people. This is the point of 2 Corinthians 4:7. We are earthen vessels. We are jars of clay. We are sinful beings with quirks and ideosyncrasies, and God knows all this and still uses us. He uses what is weak and imperfect because it is not about us. It is about God. We are not to be glorified. God is to be glorified.
The next time you think you can't or you are not qualified, stop and consider 2 Corinthians 4:7. You may be just the person God is looking for.
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