2 Corinthians 4:5-7 

⁵For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

Pot of Gold

Have you ever heard about the legend of the “Pot of Gold” at the end of the rainbow? Accordingly to Irish folklore or legend, the pot of gold and treasure jars at the end of the rainbow were buried by leprechauns.

Leprechauns are portrayed as mischievous dwarf creatures with long beard wearing coat and hat. The legend of the “Pot of Gold” at the end of the rainbow symbolizes hidden treasures that are not discovered yet.

As his children of God, we are the clay in the hand of God the Potter.

Reflect on the message of Jeremiah 18:3-6. ³I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him. ⁵Then the word of the Lord came to me. ⁶He said, “Can I not do with you, as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.”

The Lord is the potter, and we are clay in his hand. He shapes us into treasure jars. He designed for us for specific purpose. Every pot or jar that the potter makes has useful purposes. Similarly, the Lord shapes us into treasure jars with useful function he designed to testify for Jesus Christ.

Every person has unique circumstance. Siblings who were born in the same family will certainly explore unique circumstances. The Lord uses our unique circumstances to redirect us to better path of life he prepared for us.

Let’s reflect what it declares in 2 Timothy 2:20-21, ²⁰In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. ²¹Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Wood and clay symbolize those who’re reserved for common use. Gold and silver symbolize those who’re chosen for special purposes. By faith, we believe that the Lord cleansed us from common use to be holy for his special purpose and perform productive good work with eternal value.

Reflect on this: Am I ordinary Christian or holy servant of Christ my Lord?

1. Serve

        ⁵For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 

Some preachers distorted the word of God and deceived the church in Corinth. This sad narrative confused ordinary believers in the church. Prosperity gospel preachers distort the word of God for personal profit. Others insist on teaching ideas that are not helpful for spiritual growth.

Whenever you listen to sermons, always seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit of wisdom and revelation. The Lord himself helps us discern sermons or messages that help us serve the Lord more devotedly. Ideas that are inspired by the Holy Spirit should encourage us to prioritize and actively serve God diligently. If ideas won’t challenge us to serve the Lord but cause argumentation, those ideas are ordinary head knowledge.

Biblical knowledge should motivate service to the Lord. Serving the Lord is very essential for our spiritual maturity. When inspired by the Holy Spirit, we serve the Lord. Why? It practically prove gratitude for our eternal life. When his Holy Spirit inspires us to behave as children of God, he also enables us to realize that life with Christ is eternally wonderful and joyful.

Let’s reflect on 1 Peter 2:9-10, ⁹You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. ¹⁰Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God.

Passport

If you have Canadian Passport, you can travel to several countries without applying for visa. Do you have Canadian Passport? Canadian passport is identification document for Canadian citizens. Citizens who enter Canada present their Canadian passport to immigration officials. Anyone can claims to be Canadian. But if they cannot present Canadian passport, will immigration officials allow them to enter Canada?

Likewise, anyone can claim to be Christian. But if they have not yet received the Holy Spirit, they just deceived themselves. They do not belong to God. Have you received the Holy Spirit, yet? Reflect on what it declares in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, ²¹It is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, ²²set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

The Holy Spirit produces fruit in our life to affirm his presence in us. When the Holy Spirit inspires us, we behave as children of God. If you have doubts that Jesus Christ saved you from eternal destruction, pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit to affirm that you will certainly enter heaven.

The Holy Spirit produces joyful gratitude in our heart and look forward to the moment when we enter heaven and live with God forever. Rejoicing with gratitude inspired by the Holy Spirit should prompt us to spontaneously serve the Lord with gladness. Serving the Lord with gladness is practical expression of gratitude to him and may his light shines in our hearts.

2. Shine

       ⁶For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

Jesus Christ is the light of this dark world. And he mandated us to be light of this dark world. How could we light, when we don’t have light? Whenever the Lord commands us, he expects us to rely upon his power. The Lord never commanded us to perform on our own human abilities.

Human effort is limited and we can never accomplish commands from God to satisfy him. We must always depend on him. If you sense reverent fear of God and desire to serve his faithfully, the Holy Spirit empowered you to explore his plan for you. Do you have any idea of the glory of God?

By faith, we can be enlightened of the knowledge of God’s glory when we ask the Lord to make his light shines in our heart. When we come to know the glory of God in Christ, we spontaneously respond and serve him.

Orphan

A wealthy business couple retired as farmer in the countryside. Their only child studied diligently and hope to become successful businessman. He desired to alleviate their lifestyle as family. After graduation, his parents arranged a banquet and invited prominent businessmen and celebrities.

As the banquet started, his parents announced that their son inherits all their assets and businesses from that day onward. His classmates who attended the banquet cannot believe that his parents were very wealthy businesspeople and not just ordinary farmers. His classmates bowed down to give him honor and hoped that he will help them in their future ventures.

Many Asian drama has this story plot where the main character is portrayed as simple person and become prominent figure in the end. Have they based their story from what was written about Jesus Christ? Reflect on Philippians 2:8-11, ⁸Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! ⁹Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

By faith we look forward to that moment when we bow down on our knees in heaven to praise and thank the Lord Jesus Christ personally.

Meanwhile, we don’t wait for that moment to praise him. We should now express our gratitude toward the Lord and serve him diligently. How?

We serve the Lord by following his instructions. One command of the Lord is “You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.” The term “covet” is properly translated as “yearning to possess or selfishly desiring to acquire.” As children of God, we should be sufficiently satisfied with what we have to avoid yearning to acquire what belongs to neighbors.

What’s sufficiently satisfied behavior? Farmers are satisfied with their harvest and share their harvest for free. You’re satisfied and you share your birthday celebration with others. You also share your talents for free. Sharing our abundance testifies to our faith that the Lord provides for us.

May we be inspired by Galatians 6:8-10, ⁸Whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

By the grace of God, we continue to do good to all people, especially to the church family. Doing good to others is practical service God. But, we should always seek help of the Holy Spirit whenever we decide to be good to others so that Christ will be glorified in our activities and behavior.

God created all of us. He designed a unique purpose for everyone. Some are made for ordinary purposes, and God elected us to serve his holy purposes and to display his all-surpassing power by faith in Christ.

3. Surpass

      ⁷But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

The term “treasure” pertains to the good news of salvation in Christ. The phrase “jars of clay” pertains to human frailty and flaw. And God gave us faith to believe the gospel of Christ. So, how do we practically know that we have this treasure or the gospel of Christ in our frail faulty human life?

The Lord transformed us by his all-surpassing and exceeding power.

Before we believe Christ as Lord and Savior, we were satisfied attending worship services for socialization or just want to see our friends who attend church. But after the great and amazing power of God transformed us, we now delight to follow the Lord faithfully and serve him diligently.

Do you sense in your inner self such delight to serve the Lord but you just don’t know how you may start, yet? Pray seriously and ask God to reveal to you which ministry he wants to make his light shines in your life.

Let’s learn from Exodus 31:1-6, ¹The Lord said to Moses, ²“See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, ³and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— ⁴to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, ⁵to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. ⁶Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:

The Lord commanded Moses to build the tabernacle. He assured Moses that he already chose workers to help him. He also filled those workers with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills to make artistic design for work.

The workers were expected to make artistic designs. Meticulously, they followed what Moses told them. God gave his plan to Moses, Israel’s spiritual leader. God did not give his plan to the elders of Israel. But God gave the workers wisdom, understanding and skill to do their job properly.

Observe: First, the workers were given the Spirit of God. Why? The Holy Spirit inspired the workers to follow what Moses instructed them to do and not insist on their own ideas. We also seek inspiration of the Holy Spirit to understand how we may serve God and make his light shines in our life.

God gave us talent to serve him. Pray that the Holy Spirit inspires you in Romans 12:6-8, ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; ⁷if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Serving the Lord with our spiritual gift affirms the presence of Christ in us. Prayerfully seek to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, and to be filled with gratitude and praise forever when God make his light shines in our life. The Holy Spirit guarantees that we enter heaven when Christ returns. Reflect on this: Will I remain as ordinary Christian or faithful servant to the Lord?

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