What’s In Your Jar?

If I am being honest, my jars are presently pretty depleted, but my hope for the New Year is that, as I set myself apart for consecration, I will find myself on a path of repletion and restoration.

This article is a product of Apostle Joshua Selman’s sermon titled “Lessons of an Overcomer” and Apostle Isi Igenegba’s teaching called “Prepare Your Jars”, in which she spoke by revelation that the year 2025 was the year of Preparation, and the year 2026 is the year for Showdown and Dominion. I find myself ill-prepared for dominion, I find myself lacking the things I need to overcome all that life might have in store for me this new season (the good, the bad, the ugly). Nevertheless, I refuse to despair. I will hope always in the Lord.

In 2 Kings 4:3-7, a widow lamented to prophet Elisha, saying her husband is dead and creditors have come to take her two sons as slaves for payment of the debt owed. In response to her plea, Elisha asked her “what should I do for you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?” The lady had nothing but a jar of oil which Elisha instructed her to go borrow vessels from her neighbors and then go into her home (with both her sons) shut the door and pour out the oil until all the borrowed vessels were full. Elisha then asked her to sell the oil, pay the debt and live off of the remainder with her children.

This widow had a little oil which Elisha could work with and caused it to be multiplied. What if she had no oil at all? What if she was ill-prepared and completely depleted of resources? Would she have been able to receive the much needed help from Elisha? While she didn’t have much, she was prudent enough to have a little on which more could be added. What about you – what is in your “Jar”?

The widow’s predicament is a commonplace area of strife, the economic/financial Jar. And while this might be the most pervasive and universal area of struggle, there are other facets of Jars that should not and must not be downplayed.

As I set out to prepare for 2026, I ask myself not only what do I have in my jar, but what are the different life-Jars to consider?

Part of the answer to this question is found in Apostle Selman’s “Lessons of an Overcomer”- a must-listen teaching of destiny-defining principles from a scriptural lens and the lens of those who have overcome – lessons gleaned from the pain and experience of many “overcomers”.

In his teaching, Apostle Selman examined eight life success factors we should know, live by and be intentional about keeping replete and sustained, and provided distilled strategies for overcoming the vicissitudes of life that would affect these success factors. (2 Timothy 3:15-17 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dku5-5LpVNQ @1:57:47) I consider these factors “Jars” to be kept filled and ready for when the creditor comes calling.  They are namely; Spiritual growth, Mental Transformation, Purpose and Ambition, Health & Wellness (physical, mental & emotional), Economic/Financial factor, Relationships, and Fulfillment and Meaning.

Our mental and physical health now more than ever is of utmost importance, without which little else matters. We need to be intentional about cultivating more wholesome relationships and letting go those that serve no purpose (or worse still deplete our Jars). The widow found herself to be a debtor by virtue of being the wife of the borrower. While she never borrowed from anyone, she’s left to pay the debt due to the covenant of marriage by which she’s legally bound. 

In this new season, let’s ask ourselves who our creditors are.  What legal rights do they have? What covenants are we bound by? Do these covenants increase or decrease our Jars?  Debts, toxic relationships, negative lifestyle choices will deplete our financial, relational and health/welfare Jars respectively. Sickness and disease could be a creditor based on our eating habits, bankruptcy and insolvency can be a creditor based on our financial decisions, deception and betrayal could be a creditor based on the type of relationships we maintain. A Lack of spiritual maturity and ascendance keeps us ignorant and makes us prey to the greatest of all enemies (Hosea 4:6)

Our talents and abilities are also weighty measures of Jars to be considered. What are our God-given talents and/or unique gifts? How are we cultivating and putting them to use? How are we turning our blessings/talents into legal tender for payment of our creditors?  Whether or not we choose to put them to use, a time will come for us to render what we owe (Mathew 25:14-30)

Knowing what we know, let’ resolve to not enter the New Year with any “baggage, threat or anything with the possibility of enslaving us” as per Apostle Isi.  If you are as ill-prepared as I am, let’s be determined and steadfast to take the necessary steps to replete our Jars and sustain them. Let’s prepare for Dominion.

What’s in Your Jar?