Plums and Clay Jars, Part 2

It's all happening. I'm off tomorrow to investigate a possible job. In addition, earlier on today, someone phoned to ask me to consider taking on a certain local parish. And at the same time, I've had some conversations with another local parish which might be able to offer an exciting post. They're all beyond me. But maybe, with God's enabling, any of them might just be within reach of where I am now.

I don't know how you react when faced with something that's beyond you. Mine is to mentally list all the flaws and weaknesses that disqualify me. But a few weeks ago, I'm sure in faith the following words came to me as I was mulling this over: "I am the Lord, who makes you competent".

It was only during last Sunday's sermon preparation that I found them. These words, about God making us competent, come just before the better known verses in 2 Corinthians about treasure in clay jars. Here's my attempt to translate them (Click here for a flow diagram of the text):

But we have such a confidence as this through Christ before God,
not that we are adequate in and of ourselves to think that anything comes from us,
but our competence is from God, who also made us competent as ministers of a new covenant, one not of the law, but of the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:4-6a, my translation)

I spoke with one potential new boss about this, and his reply was "At each step, God has always called me to something that is beyond me."

Who knows what will transpire? It begins tomorrow with a 250 mile drive to somewhere I've never been before. Whatever happens in coming months, I won't be all sorted out before it begins. Not all the rubble will be cleared, but soehow it seems possible to trust that I will be made competent to go and make a start.

Notes:
1. "Adequate"\"competence"\"made us competent" share a common Greek root - to be adequate\sufficient\competent\enough.
2. "Comes from us" ... a similar phrase to one in the "clay jars" passage (2 Cor 4:6-8) - the all-surpassing God is of God and "does not come from us". This is all about the source of the power that fuelled Paul's ministry. The point is that the clay jar, the earthen vessel merely contains a power that has its origins elsewhere, and that a ministry operating as God intended would leave people in no doubt about where the power was coming from, which means the brittleness of the clay jar would have to be made obvious. There's a scary thought!

Comments

[Lorna]

God is in charge and it will be wonderful to see what and where He calls you too.

This is a great verse for you right now. Tuck it deep in your heart

[wilsonian]

I look forward to seeing where He takes you... :)