Lord, in a land that only wants to hear stories of personal triumph through our own inner worth, we praise you for the very countercultural gospel of the surpassing power belonging to God and not to us! We are constantly astonished to find that your treasure can be housed in us, frail and fragile and unspectacular vessels that we are.
Help us to remember that this is your plan when we feel like mere cracked pots of clay. Remind us that the story you’re interested in writing isn’t one of our intrinsic magnificence, but one of your absolute sufficiency. Teach us not to live in cycles of fearing dark confusion or lonely persecution or the feeling of being struck down. We know we don’t need to fear affliction because whatever is in store, “He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also”! Teach us not only to remember this but actually to get excited about the life you are bringing forth through our faith-filled endurance of hardships. We know this is the path of our Master.
Lord, there are many times when it feels like living for you means “carrying in the body the death of Jesus.” Bring us safely through and show us clearly that you’ve appointed these hardships “so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” Comfort us with this resurrection reality as you renew our inner self day by day. And use the “death” we walk through to bring life to others in your name. As “grace extends to more and more people”, may it “increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
Though we’re aware of all of these glorious dynamics, we confess that we often lose heart. We believe that “this light and movement are affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,” and yet we can’t seem to lift our eyes from the transient and seen things to that which is unseen and eternal. Give us eternal perspective when we think about the hardships of:
-working in our careers
-managing our resources
-working at our marriages
-raising our kids
-experiencing illness or disease
-navigating challenging relationships
-failing at our goals
-coping with misunderstanding
-fighting our habitual sins
-undergoing major loss
-suffering unexpected tragedy
-dealing with the past
-finding hope for the future
In all of these situations and more, give the eyes of our hearts glimpses of the eternal glory. Help us, Holy Spirit, to cling to the sure promises of your word as more real than these light and momentary afflictions. And when the daily “resurrections” one day lead to our final and actual resurrection, all glory be to Christ! Until then, use us any way you see fit to display your treasure to the world through us vessels of breakable pottery. Amen.