Trusting God To Show His Glory in Pain is Showing His Glory
[7] But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. [8] We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; [9] persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; [10] always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. [11] For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. [12] So death is at work in us, but life in you.
[13] Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, [14] knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. [15] For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
2 Corinthians 4:7–15 ESV
The Apostle Paul was writing this section to get people to focus on God and His power instead of himself. He is giving all of the credit and honor due to Jesus for His glory and His work in Paul and the others that have visited Corinth and proclaimed the Kingdom of God.
This humble but honest description is often looked at as a motivational talk by people today, but it was not a pep talk originally. It was a declaration of their weakness in themselves. Paul was trying to get across to people that he was not strong, but God’s “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” was what was strong in him.
To always carry around inside of them the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus would be shown was no small task. The death of Jesus was one event after another of submission, surrender, holding back power, and meekness. At one point, (John 18:6) Jesus knocks and entire battalion of soldiers back just by saying His name, but He doesn’t take advantage of that moment to escape. To carry around the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus will show is to take an active part in watching God do things they way He wants to do them.
With that confidence, we speak and tell others what we believe. When we have confidence that God is driving and that He’ll get us to the right place, we are much better passengers. We can either be like one of my kids that was shouting in the car once, “Turn back you are going the wrong way!” because he wanted to go to a toy store and I was driving us to dinner, OR we can carry Jesus around inside of us and confidently proclaim, “Whatever crushing, afflicting, painful, sad, rough thing comes our way, God is carrying us through it and there is an unimaginable victory coming up. Thank God for that!”