The Joy of Loss - Edition #4

Friday, March 3rd, 2006

The Joy of Loss – Edition #4

I have been busy today… tackling different tasks and whatnot… some would say doing good things or righteous things. I don’t know if I would necessarily call it that, but I have been doing the things I am supposed to do. Obedient, I guess you could call it. I’m not perfect, though. To make a diamond, intense pressure needs to be applied. And it takes pressure over an extended period of time to make a great diamond. The thing that has the pressure applied to it has to be of the right material. To take clay and apply the pressure will not make a diamond but it takes coal. But wait, it takes the right contents of metal within the coal and the genetics have to be right to make a really good looking diamond. So what am I? Am I clay or coal?

2nd Corinthians 4:1-18
1 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6 For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13 It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken." With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

2nd Samuel 14:5-7
5 She said, "I am indeed a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.' They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth."

So many times, I want to be a diamond, shining and sparkling for the world to see… there have been times where I desire the spotlight but when faced with a crowd, fear and uncertainty set within my conscience. I tend to perform well in those situations, at least in most cases. But with coals, they are lit and can burn out. Clay is moldable. In fact, there exists clay that will not dry out… period. Moldable forever, as they say… that is the clay I want to be, not coal that gets snuffed out. Better a cup clean on the inside than a diamond locked in a closet.