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But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^[b] Since we have that same spirit of^[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Background

Paul founded the Corinth church.  He loved this church.  But what had started as good.  Had been attacked.  Infiltrated by opponents.  Detractors.

Not surprising.  The good.  Is always attacked.

He had returned to the Corinth church in the years before this letter was sent.  And the reception was heartbreaking.  Rejection.  Likely humiliation.  Many would have cut their losses – moved on.  Found a group that welcomed him.  Valued him.  Even liked him.  Distanced themselves from the rejection. 

Not Paul.  Nope.  Paul was different.

This letter had multiple objectives.  One was to reject a central argument introduced by the antagonists – “Paul suffered too much to be a Spirit-filled apostle of the risen Christ” (ESV Commentary). Versions of the prosperity gospel starting early.  The argument being an apostle should be immune from the really hard stuff.  And the spirit of this argument had gained traction.  And it appealed to the imaginations.  Especially imaginations that wanted to believe that this gospel made life easier on this side of heaven.

Paul didn’t qualify for this type of gospel theology.  He suffered.  A lot.  Prisons.  Beatings.  Thirty-nine lashes – Five times.  Beaten with rods – Three times.  Stoned – Once.  Shipwrecked – Once.  And that wasn’t all of it.  Word had gotten around. 

Paul’s testimony couldn’t have been more at odds with the attractive gospel vision being shared by the others.

This authentic letter was intended to frame a different vision.  And that vision started with a reminder – We are clay jars.  And within that construct there is weakness.  We are “hard pressed on every side”; “perplexed”; “persecuted” and “struck down”. 

A Christian life often marked by difficulty.  

But.  Those verbs weren’t the whole story.  Each were connected to a critical reminder. The second half of the clause.  “pressed on every side – not crushed”; “perplexed – not in despair”; “persecuted – not abandoned”; “struck down – not destroyed”.  

In this life – we have to remember the other side.

The critical insight is emphasized in chapter 12:9-10…God’s power “is made perfect in weakness”.  And in that belief, Paul had come to embrace a much different type of theology than the one introduced by the Corinthian detractors.  Paul so much believed this truth that he actually delighted in weaknesses.  Insults.  Hardships.  Persecutions.  Difficulties.   

Because, strength can be revealed and even forged in weakness.

Reflections

This theology is hard.

Paul’s truth is essential to guide centered perspectives.  To move beyond a thinking that yearns for outcomes on this side that are exclusively easy.  Comfortable.  Happy.  Connected.

But instead to recognize that His power is made perfect in my weakness.  And that in hardship, or difficulty.  We are made strong.  

These last few years have been one of those seasons.  A hard season.  A season that was brought on by me.  Bad decisions.  Mistakes.  Regrets.  I journal almost every day.  Electronically.  And this software package allows me to view my thoughts.  And prayers.  From the exact day one year ago.  Two years ago.  Up to 6 years ago.  I am frequently interested in what was on my mind in years past.  On that same day.  And I have found a consistent theme.   Prayer after prayer.  Day after day.  Praying for the same things.  That all would be healed.  Restored.  Made better.  Fixed.  Made comfortable.  Easier.  Happier.

I have yet to find a prayer – “Lord, today…please amplify my weakness.  My limitations.  Even my discomfort and pain…so that you can be lifted up today.  Use my weaknesses or failings to make you look stronger”.

Theology matters.  How we live God-centered theology matters even more.

Ok.  That’s enough.  Let’s do this.  That streak is going to end.  Today.

Let’s pray.

Lord, thank you for my hard season.  For the crushing.  For the pressing in.  Yes.  Even for the loneliness. 

Today.  Tonight.  Please consider making me even weaker.  Even more uncomfortable.  Through a hardship.  But don’t let the story stop there.  Create the other side.  Use my weakness in some way to lift You up.  Do whatever you need or can to let my story and circumstances cast incremental glory to You. Perhaps even to make me stronger.

Help my theology.  My prayers.  To not conveniently yield to attractive theories that seem so appealing.  Comfortable.  But instead to increasingly get excited about being open to a form of incremental weakness.  Difficulty.  Hardship.  Just like Paul.

I trust You.  In the hardship.  That I won’t be crushed.  I won’t be in despair.  I won’t be abandoned.  And I won’t be destroyed.

Let’s do this. 

To You be the glory.

Amen.    

What if we lived this theology to the extent that Paul did?  How would our conversations change about our difficult hardships?  How would our prayers change?

What if peace and joy began to increasingly emerge as we adopted different thinking?