https://thepreachersword.com/2019/09/18/a-passage-to-ponder-2corinthians-416-18/#more-14557
A Passage To Ponder: 2Corinthians 4:16-18
In 1947 NYC bus driver William Cimillo became a “national hero” when he got in his bus one morning and kept on driving…all the way to Florida.
The 38-year-old Bronx native had been driving for almost 20 years and told a reporter later that “ I really got tired of it all, up and down every day, the same people, the same stops, nickels, dimes, transfers… Well I thought I’d try something different, a new route.”
Cimillo said, “I come out of my garage and instead of making a right turn, I made a left turn and went west towards George Washington Bridge. It was a beautiful morning, sun was shining. I stopped for breakfast, and decided to take a little ride… before I knew it I was right in front of the White House.”
After the NYC transit company frantically searched for their missing bus and driver, he was discovered 10 days later in Hollywood, Florida.
Have you ever felt that discouraged, disheartened, and frustrated with your job? Your family? Your church? Your life? That you felt like quitting? Just walking (or driving) away from all of it?
The Bible calls this feeling “losing heart.” And the apostle Paul appeals several times in his epistles “don’t lose heart.” Then he shows us how he overcame discouragement. And how we can too.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 1while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Cor. 4:16-19)
(1) Accept that the Outward Man is Perishing.
Sickness, pain, suffering and physical ailments can be discouraging. They can “take the wind out our sails.” But reality is staring us back in the mirror. We are all getting older.
All of the health foods, vitamins, and exercise in the world, will not keep the outward man from perishing. It may prolong it a bit longer, but will not stop it.
(2) Renew the Inner Man Every Day.
While we can’t control aging, we can continue growing. Spiritually. Outwardly we may be decreasing in strength, agility, and stamina, but inwardly we can be increasing in spiritual knowledge, wisdom, and strength. We are able to add Christian virtues, grow in grace and knowledge and produce the fruit of the spirit.
Take time every day for Bible reading, prayer, and meditation. Think about God. Reflect on your life. Work at getting better. Daily renewal helps us not “lose heart.”
(3) See your Afflictions with the Right Perspective.
Amazingly call Paul called his afflictions “light.” Yet, we read about him being beaten, imprisoned, stoned, shipwrecked and suffering not only physically, but mentally and emotionally (2 Cor. 4:8-10; 6:4-6; 11:23-28). How could he look at his pain in this way?
The answer is found in Romans 8:18. “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Compared to eternity suffering is short; compared to the reward of Glory the burden is light.
What’s hard and heavy is the burden of sin that brings guilt, shame, and remorse. The consequences of sin long outlive its pleasure. But the rewards of righteousness eternally eclipse whatever obstacles we endure.
(4) Don’t Dwell on what You See
What we see is material. Physical. Temporal. And transitory. Our physical bodies. Our homes. Cars. Clothes. And personal treasures. Even the beauty of nature. All of this will pass away.
We will die and leave it all behind, never to be seen again. And when Christ comes again the world and everything in it will be destroyed. Wordsworth was right, “the world is too much with us…getting and spending we waste our powers.”
(5) Focus on Seeing the Unseen.
Through the eye of faith, we see our Creator, our Savior, and the eternal spirit. We can envision the resurrection of the saints. And through Scripture, we get a glimpse into our heavenly home. A place of eternal bliss, beauty and blessed association with the redeemed of the ages.
Happiness is a choice. You can control your attitude toward life’s hardships. And with the Lord’s help, you can overcome every adversity, heartache, and hurt.
Don’t lose heart.
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman