Our scripture this morning is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Paul calls us to endurance, that we “not lose heart.” While our mortal bodies wear out, our spirits are eternal, and that gives us hope. I have reached a point in life where things have needed repair and replacing, and while I am very grateful God gifted people to accomplish this, nothing we make or do is as good as God’s original construction.
While these infirmities are sometimes painful and limiting, if we focus on what God is doing in our lives and in the world, this “momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory.” Paul reminds us that our spirits are being “renewed day by day”, that as our bodies decline, we are growing out of this world and into our eternal home.
If we dwell on the here and now, it is often easy to be discouraged. The old hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” says “the body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still!” God invites us to look past what we see and experience here, preparing our spirits to live with Him forever.
Loving Lord, we are sometimes weighed down by our physical and emotional issues. Help us to see that these are only temporary, that we were created to be with You eternally. Amen.
