“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.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
In 1996 I was evaluated for a pain management clinic. At the end of our meeting, the doctor stated that he thought that I was depressed. As my wife and I left his office, I looked at Marie and said something like “Do you think?” I had been struggling with severe pain for five years and seizures for two with no clear cause or treatment plan for either; eating was a struggle causing me to be significantly underweight; and a few months before, my mother had died. It was a bit much to handle all at once and I was more than a little depressed. A few years later as God began to educate me with respect to reconciling my illness to His promised love for me, I had a major hurdle. I had recently read that a woman with symptoms similar to mine had live to be 89 years old. I was only 39; the thought of living like this for another 50 years was overwhelming to say the least. I felt like I was being tortured. But when I yielded to God and began to open my heart to accept His plan for me, the weight of it all began to lighten. While my circumstances had not changed, my point of view was shifting from focusing on my circumstances to considering the value my struggle could have from a spiritual perspective.
Point of view can change our entire outlook. For example when you fly out of a city, the skyscrapers that look so huge from the ground begin to shrink and eventually are barely visible; as a child, the years seem to go by so slowly but the more we age, the quicker they seem to fly by; and finally, 200 pounds is impossible for a child to even consider lifting but to a body builder, it is manageable. The context in which we view our circumstances makes all the difference in the world. That’s the point that Paul is making in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. He’s trying give us a more accurate perspective.
The untimely death of a loved one leaves us facing the rest of our lives without them. Similarly, the diagnosis of a chronic illness means that we will be living with its effects for all of our remaining days. Further, there is usually the added bonus that normal often keeps changing keeping one off balance. Finally, there are those trials that are so vague that there seems to be no end in sight. These all appear to be anything but momentary as we wake up every day facing another day of struggle. Yet both Paul and Peter (1 Peter 1:6-7) refer to them as short lived because they are putting them into the perspective of eternity. While the life of our trials may be significant with respect to our lifespan on earth, understanding that we will live for eternity immediately changes the percentage of time we must endure them to an insignificant portion of our total existence and reveals that they are truly momentary.
Consider also the weight of the burden or trial. Again, the death of a loved one, terminal or chronic illness, financial problems, imprisonment or torture (as some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are experiencing), etc. are anything but light burdens. In order to put the weight of our afflictions into perspective we need to consider several issues. Like the lifespan of our trials, Paul reminds us that the weight of them pales when one compares the weight of our suffering in this life to the weight of the eternal rewards we receive in Heaven including eternity in the presence of our God. Peter goes on to say that the value lost to our struggles does not compare to the praise, honor and glory that we will receive when Christ is revealed. Consider also the aid that our Lord offers. Psalm 55:22 and 1 Peter 5:6-7 say to cast our burdens on God, Matthew 11:28-30 promises a lighter load and rest, and Isaiah 41:10 assure us that He will provide the strength that we need. Finally, the weight of our trials is insignificant when compared to the confinement Christ endured in human form, the torture He received prior to and during His crucifixion, bearing the sins of all mankind, and being “forsaken” by the God the Father. He is the model of how we are to endure and the provider of our sustaining grace. When we view our trials from God’s perspective and allow them to draw us closer to Him, we receive the benefit of a lightened load…not because they become insignificant, but because God is greater and give purpose to them.
In conclusion, reflect on verse 16: “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” Prior to faith in Christ, all we could consider was our temporal condition; however, it is our faith that allows us to look to eternity to gain a proper point of view. Further, while we endure the unavoidable decay of our earthly bodies our souls are being renewed daily by our gracious Lord and allowing us to maintain a godly perspective, deepen our relationship with Him and grow in grace.
It has been 26 years since illness altered the life my family and I enjoyed. During that time, I have learned how to live more or less peaceably with my illness. Through some education, new information and a lot of experimentation, God has allowed me to experience less intense interruptions to my life. However, the greatest benefit has come from accepting God’s plan for me and looking expectantly for God to use it for His glory and my good. With that change, I have been rewarded with the ability to look beyond my struggles to God’s eternal perspective which also allows me to accept His peace. That does not mean that there aren’t challenges or times of distress, but it does mean that I can regain my balance more quickly by focusing on God’s promises and character rather than my problems. Consequently, the possibility of a longer life does not terrify me as it once did and I can truly say “to live is Christ, to die is gain”.
As Romans 12:2 instructs us, rejoice in your hope, persevere in your trials and devote yourself to prayer that you may enjoy God’s eternal perspective and experience peace and contentment in the midst of the trials that you face.
Do not fear; God will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)
Will