Do You Feel Battered and Bruised?
Today’s Truth
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV).
Friend to Friend
The speaker came out onto the stage. He pulled out a one-hundred dollar bill.
“Who would like this one-hundred dollar bill?” he asked.
Hands shot up all around the room.
Then he crumpled the paper, threw it on the floor and ground the dirt into it with his foot. Holding up the dirty, crumpled and tattered money, he then asked, “Now, who wants this one-hundred dollar bill?”
The same hands went into the air.
“And that is why God still wants you,” he continued. “You may be battered and bruised. You may be tattered and torn. You may be crumpled and creased. But that does not change your value to God any more than what I have done changes the value of this one-hundred dollar bill. You are still precious and valuable to the God who chose you, redeemed you, and loves you as His own.”
“He knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalms 103:14). God understands that we are fatally flawed creatures, yet deems us immeasurably valuable no matter how crumpled and soiled we are.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7). In Paul’s day, it was customary to store treasure in clay jars. The common container disguised its contents and didn’t draw attention to the treasure within. You and I might not look like much on the outside. We may appear as common as jars of clay, but inside are hidden incredible treasures. Inside these old cracked pots reside the most incredible treasure of all...Jesus Christ. And that makes us valuable.
In Louisa May Alcott’s book, Little Women, she includes a conversation from Mrs. March to her three girls, Meg, Jo, and Amy. “I only care what you think of yourself. If you feel your value lies in being merely decorative, I fear that someday you might find yourself believing that’s all you really are. Time erodes all such beauty. But what it cannot diminish is the wonderful workings of your mind – your humor, your kindness, and your moral courage. These are things I so cherish in you.”
Our culture places an ungodly amount of significance on a woman’s appearance. Outward trappings of appearance are simply that - trappings. But God sees us as simple jars of clay containing valuable treasure…and that makes us beautiful to Him.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, even though I am battered and bruised, I know that I am still valuable to You. Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. Thank You for making a way for me to have eternal life through Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank You for seeing me as Your priceless treasure.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Don’t you love the teacher’s illustration of the crumpled dollar bill? Today, consider using that illustration with a friend or a child who feels knocked down by life.
Did the illustration touch you in a particular way? If so, I’d love to hear about it. You can share your thoughts on my blog page at www.sharonjaynes.com. I’m going to randomly pick 5 commenters and give away a compact mirror with 2 Corinthians 5:17 imprinted on the cover.
More from the Girlfriends
Today’s devotion was taken from my book, I’m Not Good Enough and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves. If you feel battered and bruised by life, if you have been believing lies that you are worthless, then join me in learning to see yourself as God sees you – a chosen, valuable, dearly loved child of the King.
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Girlfriends in God
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Originally published Monday, 25 March 2013.
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