July 7 | 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

Pam Mann
Jul 7
3 min read

DAILY READING

REFLECTION

Cardboard Boxes

By Pam Mann

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

Hmm, what is this treasure? The previous verse tells us Paul is describing the light of the knowledge of God’s glory. Here’s the stunning reality of how God comes to us. He, who said in creation, “Let there be light,” is now bringing to our human hearts the light of knowledge of His glory. Paul wants us to grasp that this phenomenon occurs, not because we command great power, but because God does! We’re like jars of clay.

Because we live about 2,000 years after the time of Paul, jars of clay have become to us museum pieces or a chic home décor option. But, in Paul’s day, jars of clay were everyday containers that you would see everywhere, and you would use for tons of things. Paul’s jars of clay are like to our cardboard boxes. They’re common, ordinary containers.

Now we see what a contrast Paul is making. God chooses to bestow upon ordinary folks the light of the knowledge of His glory. The cardboard boxes contain but cannot contribute to the priceless treasure they hold. It’s the treasure itself, not the packaging,

that captivates, amazes, and merits awe. Cardboard boxes are the stuff of recycling bins.

Moreover, these cardboard boxes (the clay jars of Paul’s day) are not in pristine condition. In his purchaser review, Paul could note four things as evidence of a rough trip from sender to recipient. No five-star review on delivery here: hard pressed on every side, perplexed, persecute, struck down. You’d expect the contents to be damaged. You’d get out your phone to get pics of the damage evidence as you unpack.

But there’s no need. The box was hard pressed on every side but not crushed! Paul writes that he and his companions were perplexed, but not in despair. Even though they were persecuted, they were not abandoned. They were struck down but not destroyed.

Paul wants us to grasp the reality of following God wherever He is at work. It’s going to be tough. You will experience suffering and hardship. However, the death of dreams and the disappointed hopes are not the end of the story. When God has hold of you and uses you for His kingdom purposes, your life becomes God’s stage to show the world His glory. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be glorious in heaven’s eyes. That is glory to God. It will be rough on the cardboard box, but so worth it!

Martin Luther wrote Oratio, Meditatio, Tentatio, a 3-step approach to living out the Scriptures: 1) You pray. 2) You mediate. 3) You suffer. 1) You pray to truly comprehend what God is saying. 2) You meditate on it by memorizing, re-reading, copying, doing whatever it takes to get it into your mind and heart. Then, here’s the clincher, which Paul describes to the Corinthians. 3) Because you commit to obeying what God says in His Word, you suffer. You will get push back somewhere in this fallen world, but it’s at this third step that you truly experience the depth and the richness of life in Christ.

Don’t sweat the part of you that’s the cardboard box. Your flesh came from dust and returns to dust. The part of you that interfaces with living God, however, lives forever in Christ. Your soul, redeemed in Jesus, is resilient: not crushed when hard pressed, not in despair when perplexed, not abandoned when persecuted, and not destroyed when struck down. The power of God works wonders in the humble, all-in believer. Rise up, O saint of God!

PRAYER

Thank you, Lord, that You want to work in our frail, fallen flesh. Thank you for the privilege of living out Your Word in our daily routines and casual interactions. By the power of Your Spirit, give our spirits the resilience of which Paul wrote.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PAM MANN

I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.