But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. Paul describes himself as a fragile container for something infinitely precious. The container is breakable. The treasure is not. That disproportion is intentional. It makes the power visible as God's, not ours.
I'm a pastor with severe anxiety. I have panic attacks. I'm not naturally courageous. I'm not naturally bold. But somehow I'm doing ministry that requires both. Sometimes I feel like a complete fraud, like I'm the wrong container for the treasure. But Paul suggests that this disproportion is the point. The weaker I am, the clearer it becomes that the power is God's.
That doesn't mean I shouldn't work on my anxiety. I should. But it means I don't have to wait until I'm perfect to be useful. The earthen vessel is fine. The treasure is what matters. So I bring my fragile, anxious self into ministry, and somehow the gospel works through me. Not because I'm competent. Because God is competent. The contrast makes it clearer.
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