"The Shaking Jar of Life"

A few months ago in a large missionary meeting the President of our mission, President Craven, shared an object lesson that I have not quickly forgotten. As we gathered together, he pulled out a glass jar full of hundreds of black beans. Sitting atop the pile of beans were four large, round walnuts. After pushing the walnuts beneath the surface of the beans, President Craven began to shake the jar. As the beans rattled around, low and behold, the walnuts rose to the top. Once again he shoved the walnuts back underneath the surface, but this time he took a small bean from the very bottom of the jar and placed it on top. He shook the jar. As expected, that tiny little bean disappeared to the bottom as the walnuts rose to the surface. Over and over the beans were positioned, the jar was shaken, and the walnuts reappeared. 

In life, we often take one of two positions- either a small black bean lost in a jar, or a large round walnut sitting on top. Sometimes we find ourselves a small bean at the bottom of the jar and with wishful thinking fantasize of a better life amongst the surface. We may think "If I only had more money", "If I only had more time", "If I didn't have so many things to worry about!". Sometimes we may reach that surface but at the slightest tremor, sink right back to where we began. We may try time and time again, but as our jar starts shaking, we become lost in the same discouragement. Other times we find ourselves a large round walnut, who no matter how far or how many times is pushed below surface, rises to the top as the shaking begins. In life, the only way we are going to stay on top is to get bigger. It's not the size of the bump that may come, but the size of ourselves. If we are small in soul, we sink at every shake. If we are continually growing, we rise. The larger we expand our souls, the greater our capacity to combat the shaking jar of life.

But how do we grow? In the New Testament, Peter urges the Saints to strive for this capacity and provides a clear ladder. He says,
"And beside this, giving all diligence,
                           add to your faith, virtue;
                                and to virtue knowledge;
                             And to knowledge temperance; 
                                          and to temperance patience;
                                                    and to patience godliness;
                                     And to godliness brotherly kindness;
                                                        and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:5-8).

This ladder that Peter describes is simply a stepping path of Christlike Attributes. As we live the characteristics of Christ, live as He did, we grow- Our souls are enlightened, our priorities change, our desires and diligence are strengthened. We grow. We become students of the process, always striving to be better, to BECOME who our Father in Heaven wants us to be. Our loving Heavenly Father never intended us to rattle to the dismal bottom. We are children of a King and therefore we are not mediocre! We posses the characteristics of God- filled with the capacity and potential to rise during even the greatest of tremors.


The Jar of Life is ALWAYS shaking, but it is our choice where we find ourselves resting.