A potluck dinner, full of variety and everyone's best culinary offerings,to be shared by all, makes me think of the spiritual gifts God so graciously bestows upon us:
"Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful..."
I Corinthians 12:7-8, The Message
"Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."
I Corinthians 12:7, NIV
Our Heavenly Father chose to fill each of us with special gifts to share with all of His people. The gifts He gives are uniquely designed and full of variety, but each is given for the good of all. The gifts do not make us special, for we are merely the vessels. Instead, they reflect the glory, majesty, and power of God, highlighting what He can do through us when we trust and obey Him.
I want to share an excerpt from the book God inspired me to write, The Path: A 90-Day Journey to Living God's Will in Today's World:
"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
For thousands of years, it has been customary to hide valuables or treasures in plain, ordinary containers so as not to draw attention to them. In biblical times, those treasures were typically concealed in clay jars. The message conveyed in the above verse is that the gospel, or the good news that Jesus is our Savior, is hidden within the hearts of all who believe. God has designed that Christian believers have this beautiful, treasured good news hidden inside of their ordinary, frail human bodies in order to showcase His magnificent power.
...When we choose to live in obedience to Him and the counsel He gives us through His Holy Spirit, God's all-surpassing power is unleashed in our lives.
...As God's all-surpassing power goes to work in our lives, others take notice. As they see ordinary, frail people living godly lives and displaying godly characteristics, they glimpse a reflection of Jesus Himself. Their eyes are opened to see that it is not those ordinary, frail people who are the treasure, but the power of the treasure - Jesus - working through them. This knowledge attracts them to Jesus - the glorious treasure - who longs to do the same through them!
Thank the Good and Great Lord for the "potluck" of gifts He has given us that we may be His vessels and reflect His Glory to others!
What a powerful post! I love the reminder that I...an ordinary, frail, failure-prone, dust-bunny am not the treasure....Jesus is! I think we would all do well to remember that. So glad you shared a portion of the book you wrote. It sounds fabulous! Thanks for linking up at The Loft!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Leah! I know I need a constant reminder that Jesus is the true Treasure!
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