Glory far beyond all comparison

In all too many situations, I find that I can't tell the difference between what I do and what godless people do. Sometimes, it's because I can't think of anything better to do - decisions that seem to have nothing to do with morality or spirituality. But sometimes it's because I'm not thinking, or worse yet, don't have the courage to do what I know is right. In all of these cases, it seems like I have less treasure than jar (ref. 2 Corinthians 4:7, Bible). How many more persons would be saved, if only my light had been brighter, purer than it was?

Then again, are my failings the whole point? Is it that if I didn't fail, then when God succeeds in my life, no one would know it's God? That makes sense: if I were always succeeding, it would be normal to see me succeed. It wouldn't stand out. But as I am a failure, the success in my life is startling and noteworthy, thus leading to God.

Still, my own failure is unsettling and harmful. That makes it comforting that I am under a death sentence, with a posthumous reprieve. The sign of the Messiah - to die, and live as a result of the death in a blaze of glory like... oh, say a phoenix. All the time, I am becoming less like a jar, more like the treasure inside of the jar. We do not lose heart... our inner man is being renewed day by day.

Momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.

TPJ