Good Morning Friends,
The Christian life is often described with noble images such as fighting the good fight, and running the race with perseverance. Yet Paul gives us a surprising one: we are clay pots, ordinary vessels with cracks and imperfections. Still, God fills these jars with treasure, redeeming our flaws and shaping us through struggle. In the everyday and the mundane, God reveals glory. And so, in preparation for Saint James’ Day as I contemplate the life of James in my life including a grandson, a brother and at least one potter I ask: Have Our Relationships Been Fired in a Way That Will Glorify God?
Scripture (Summarized)
Judges 7:16–20 Gideon divides his 300 men, giving each a trumpet and a jar hiding a torch. At his signal, they blow the trumpets, smash the jars, and reveal the light—startling the enemy and declaring, “For the Lord and for Gideon!” God uses fragile vessels to display His power.
2 Corinthians 4:7–15 Paul teaches that we carry God’s treasure in clay jars to show that the power is God’s, not ours. Though afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, we are never destroyed. Our suffering reveals Christ’s life in us, and God’s grace spreads so that thanksgiving may abound to His glory.
Matthew 20:20–28 The mother of James and John asks Jesus to grant her sons places of honor. Jesus responds that true greatness is found not in power but in servanthood. The Son of Man came to serve and give His life, a model for all who follow Him.
Message: Right after Jesus predicts His suffering and death, the mother of James and John asks for honor for her sons. Her timing reveals how easily self-interest blinds us. The disciples looked outward—toward glory—rather than inward, where God reshapes the heart. Jesus reminds them that greatness is not found in status but in service, and that God uses cracked pots, not perfect ones, to carry His light.
Every Christian has a Spirit-given gift meant to be revealed and used for God’s Kingdom. Sometimes this means walking with the crowd; other times it means standing alone. James’s ministry in Spain bore fruit centuries later, perhaps my brother James’s life will too. Commitment, faithfulness, and integrity are rare, but God honors them in ways beyond soccer championships.
We are ministers of the new covenant, empowered by the Spirit. Our ordinariness is no barrier to God’s work. The world values polished containers; God values humble vessels filled with His glory. Whatever our afflictions, God uses them to enlarge our joy and deepen our witness. We are part of Holy History, swept into the river of redemption. A crown awaits, not the world’s crown, but one shaped by the heart.
And So, if you aspire to godly greatness, discover your gift and use it. This is how you will be remembered. As pilgrims celebrate Saint James tomorrow in Santiago de Compostela, I am reminded that Jesus did honor the hopes of James’s mother, though not in the way she expected. Perhaps the hopes of our mothers will be honored too.
Pray that God draws near. Pray we look inward for God’s purpose. Pray we overcome doubt and fear. Pray peer pressure has no hold on us. Pray we trust Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Pray we yield to the Spirit’s fire. Pray we live with unity, forgiveness, and undivided hearts. Pray we teach with clarity and love. Pray that even cracked vessels may shine. Pray our afflictions become glory. Pray we embrace Jesus’ Kingdom of love. Pray our pain becomes gain for God’s glory. Pray we are molded and broken for His use. Pray we have hearts that glorify Jesus.
Blessings,
John Lawson, the brother of James
Daily Devotionals 