4:1 - Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. - This is awesome. Read this verse and then read verse 16. This whole chapter is an explanation of why we do not lose heart. It is a definition and a game-plan for how to think and process when you feel like you are at the end of your rope.
4:2 - ...by setting forth the truth plainly... - I have shared with many of my close friends that there is a culture in Christianity that says we need to be so creative we almost trick people into following Jesus without really knowing what they are doing. We use so much stuff (coffee, drama, architecture, music, etc.), not that those things are inherently bad, that they never really get to meet Jesus. I am all for creativity and engagement, but we have to put things in the right order. First, we PLAINLY set forth the truth. We help people see what is the essence of what we are teaching and who is the source and foundation of this truth. We clearly tell people about Jesus and the call to live a life surrendered to Him. Then, and only then, do we add the creative elements. If we would start with truth and add creativity instead of starting with a dancing bear who can juggle and then trying to slip in some Jesus we would be a lot more effective and God would be a lot more honored.
4:4 - The god of this age goes around blinding people. That is his goal, his purpose, his strategy. He convinces us of lies and skews the way we see things until we can't see goodness, or peace or hope or joy. A great prayer to combat this is to pray God, please keep falsehood and lies far from me. Help me live inside of your truth, which is truth.
4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. - It is interesting how God works. He allows us to be involved, but He makes sure we do not go off on our own to help. God is a God of relationship and so He wants to keep us with Him and not just for Him. He allows us to be broken and weak so that we stay close and so that others will see Him. We are not a deep enough source to get people where they need to be, but He is. If we stay broken and cracked and glued together than there is more room for God to shine through. Be careful not to work towards so much competence that you no longer rely on God. God moves the most, it seems, through those who stay the most open to Him. many of us have tried so hard to help we have made it hard for others to see God.
4:8-9 - Pushed, but not pushed beyond what God can enable us to endure.
4:13 - ... we also believe and therefore speak, - True faith speaks to others about Jesus. If you do not speak about Christ with the lost and the found alike, do you really, truly believe?
4:15 - Grace should cause thanksgiving to overflow. When we receive the gift of eternal life that we do not deserve (grace) it should cause us to be thankful in every circumstance and to overflow, spill over, flood the streets with thanksgiving.
4:16 - ...being renewed day by day. - A promise form God that He will renew you each day.
4:17 - For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. - Love this verse. Our troubles really are light and momentary in the bigger picture. We see them as huge when they are just close. It is like a stop sign and the sun. The stop sign can seem SO BIG because of how close it is to us that we forget the truth size of the sun. We can become convinced that the stop sign (or problem) is bigger than God. How silly. We worship to remember the true size of God so that when the stop sign is close we aren't fooled.
4:18 - What we see is temporary. Be careful not to entrust yourself to something that is melting. If you had the chance to stand on a Rock or an iceberg which would you choose? Your reality, and mine, are icebergs - they are temporary. Stand on the Rock no matter what it seems like is happening around you and you will never lose your footing.
Love you all, Michael
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