I graduated from high school ten years ago this week. In May of 1998 I was an 18 year old kid who thought he knew everything there was to know. Now I’m a 28 year old (kid) and the only thing I know for certain is that I know very little. I am still trying to work it all out and I marvel at every time God gives me some tiny insight and I pray that his lessons will stick in my puny little brain.

As I look back over my (short) life I have been fortunate enough to break a few jars that were holding me back from maturing in one way or another. I spent too much time inside these jars allowing them to stunt my growth and causing me to become spiritually/emotionally deformed. Again, it is only by the grace of God that I was able to recognize these jars and it was only by his strength that I was able to crack open these jars and begin the slow, steady progress of being remolded in the image of Jesus.

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

Probably the biggest jar I have had to escape from is The Jar of Anger.

to be continued…