When the apostle Paul compared our lives to clay pots, he focused not on the earthen vessels, but rather the contents of those vessels.

Jars of clay deteriorate over time, become chipped, cracked, and eventually broken.

However, the real value of those ancient pots was not in the clay containers themselves, but in what they contained.

We human beings tend to focus on the frailties and imperfections of our decaying “vessels”, looking, characteristically, on the outward form rather than the substance within.

But the inward reality is what matters to God, and ultimately, to us as well, since that reality is His living Presence within us; a treasure of wisdom, power, and love with inestimable value.

The Lord’s evaluation of us is not by outward appearance, which is corruptible and deteriorates with time.

His indwelling Spirit, His Living Word, and the dynamic intimate relationship into which He invites us—are where the real treasure lies!

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

–by George Whitten