A devotion for inspiration

Iron Man
by Jon Walker
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NIV)
Although I don’t recall anyone ever specifically teaching me this, somewhere along the way I embraced the idea that “You have to play hurt.” It’s the philosophy in sports that your commitment in competition is such that you don’t let the pain from injuries – even some of the major ones – keep you from playing, and playing to win.
Brett Favre, the long-standing quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, who we discussed yesterday, is an extraordinary model of this “play hurt” mentality. Often called an iron man, Favre has played through broken bones, sprains, concussions, and a myriad of other injuries – major and minor – making him one of only two NFL players to start every game his team has played over the last 15 years (and the other guy is a punter, not the heart-and-soul quarterback of a team who plays on every offensive down). And Favre is still at it even though he just turned 38, which in the dog-years of 9-to-5 work is like 68.
He certainly doesn’t stay at it for the money because he’s made plenty of it, and he doesn’t do it for the records because he’s already broken most of them. You get the sense from Favre that he’s chasing one more championship, but that he also stays in it for love of the game.
In a similar way, Coach Paul (of Tarsus) teaches us to push past the pain of becoming like Christ. For now, we carry this eternal treasure in fragile in jars of clay as we learn to be wholly and fully dependent upon the all-surpassing power of God.
Therefore, Paul sees our pain and heartache – the difficulties in life – as a way to identify with the pain and heartache Jesus faced when he died on the cross for you and me. It is a suffering as close as skin that allows us in a small way to experience, through the glass darkly, what Jesus experienced when he took in all the brutality, ridicule, and abandonment that was meant for you and me. This is how we carry the death of Jesus around in our bodies, allowing the life of Jesus to be revealed. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NIV)
No matter how well intentioned we are – no matter how Brett-Favre-Iron-Man-like we are – we incapable of carrying this death of Jesus within us without being desperately dependent upon God. But the Good News is that our pain, our heartache, our confusion, our doubts, our mountain-sized difficulties can push us – if we allow it – into the very center of God’s all surpassing power.
And this supernatural strength allows us to say, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NIV)
What now?
• Your problems help you become like Jesus – When you experience pain or heartache, talk it out with God, but also thank him that he is making you more like Christ. Let God encourage you – that this pain has a purpose: “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)
• God has his Father’s eyes on you – Yes, your pain and heartache are real. In fact, the increasingly complex struggle to keep you family together, pay your bills, and live out your faith can be overwhelming. Paul’s message of pressing on is not meant to minimize the challenges you face; rather, it’s to give you perspective: “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” (Hebrews 12:4 NIV)
• You’re weakness opens the door to his strength – Even as you feel yourself hard pressed on every side, crushed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down, you can boast all the more about your weaknesses, allowing Christ's power to rest on you; for when you are weak, then you are strong in his power and protection. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV)
• Ask God for a vision of what you would be like if you were more like Christ – Ask him to show you his purpose and his plan for your life. Ask him to make you more sensitive to the difficulties of those around you. Ask him to show you how to encourage them as they feel hard press, crushed, perplexed, persecuted, struck down. Finally, pray for Brett Favre, who appears to be a very good man, but still a man in need of a Savior.