Do you want to see whats inside? my friend asked. I had just complimented her on the old-fashioned rag doll her daughter held in her small arms. Instantly curious, I replied that yes, I very much wanted to see what was inside. She turned the doll face down and pulled open a discreet zipper sewn into its back. From within the cloth body, Emily gently removed a treasure: the rag doll shed held and loved throughout the years of her own childhood more than two decades prior. The outer doll was merely a shell without this inner core to give it strength and form.
Paul describes the truth of Jesuss life, death, and resurrection as a treasure, carried about in the frail humanity of Gods people. That treasure enables those who trust in Him to bear up under unthinkable adversity and continue in their service. When they do, His lightHis lifeshines brightly through the cracks of their humanness. Paul encourages us all not to lose heart (2 Corinthians 4:16) because God strengthens us to do His work.
Like the inner doll, the gospel-treasure within us lends both purpose and fortitude to our lives. When Gods strength shines through us, it invites others to ask, Whats inside? We can then unzip our hearts and reveal the life-giving promise of salvation in Christ.
INSIGHT
Second Corinthians 4 describes how Gods love mends broken people. We see evidence of this life-change in the story of Zacchaeus, a man who made large profits by overtaxing his people. When Jesus called him out of his sin, Zacchaeus instantly vowed: If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount (Luke 19:110). His actions demonstrated his changed life.
How do your actions demonstrate Gods work in your life?