“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 CSB)

I wrote about this scripture in my devotion this morning and then sat and meditated on this simple line of scripture.

I am always so astonished at how much wisdom is packed into simple scriptural sentences.

Now, if you are reading this and not a faith based person, hang with me for a moment.

Look, I want you to internalize something right now; you are unique and a surpassing treasure held within a jar of clay. “From dust we came and from dust we will return.”

But in between the two there is this person you have become that is unique and fantastic in its own way.

I see so many crushed by fear and depression. Struggling in life to just make it day to day that they have (or take) no time to just sit for a moment and breathe. Breathe deeply and marvel at their jar of clay.

I too struggle with anxiety and depression at times (like right now) and I too forget to breathe. Our body is a wonderful thing and breathing is something that we rarely think about, until we can’t. Think about how fear, depression, anxiety impacts the body. Our breathing tends to either become rapid or shallow based upon our response to the stimuli.

Stopping to breathe deep lets the jar fill. When the jar fills it presses other things out, displaces, like a ball shoved into a bucket of water. We fill the jar with deep a deep cleansing breath and things feel better if just for a moment. We breathe again and we get a second respite. The mind begins to clear and we can look at things more objectively.

This is how our jars react to something as simple as breathing deeply.

These jars of clay are outstanding. Each and every one. Uniquely formed for what you were made to do. Some of us physically, some of us mentally, some of us spiritually. But each formed for a purpose.

It is easy to look at the other jars and long for what they have. But what they have is for them, and not for us. You may say, but my jar was not built for anything special. I call bull on that! You were. I was. We are!

Now if you do step beyond into the realm of faith you will see another aspect of this simple scripture – “this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

We were not formed randomly. God put this power within us, it is not from us and it is not for us.

God gives us each a purpose and he has a plan for us. Something we are uniquely made to fulfill. Not for ourselves, not within ourselves, but within and for God.

But on our own these jars of clay can only achieve what we are capable of within the finite realm of who we are and what we have control over. It is only when we add in God that we begin to really excel and fill our true purpose which can have an impact far beyond the simplicity of who we are on our own.

I think we see this most when we are living for another. When we are striving to assist others. When we are living beyond ourselves for the betterment of others. When we are only focused on ourselves, only on our jars of clay, we are not filling other jars of clay.

When we take on the task to fill the other jars we find ours is overflowing.