I pushed the button and waited. It seemed like and hour for the elevator to reach the ground level and when the doors opened I stepped inside. I was beginning to fill with anxiety as the doors slid closed and the elevator began its climb upward. I had no idea what to expect when I saw her. Would she be awake? Is she going to be ok? What now?
I walked down the long well lit hall and she was being wheeled to her room. An IV bag and monitor were her best friends at the moment. “They must have been delayed,” I thought to myself as I got a glimpse of my wife laying on the hospital bed. She looked at peace, yet still I was anxious. Surviving the removal of the tumor and lymph nodes was simply the beginning of a challenging 12 months of chemo, radiation, and a complete life change.
We all go through challenging times. For some it’s cancer, others a tragic car accident or job loss, and yet for others it’s the loss of a child or spouse in a time that seems far too soon. Whatever the loss or difficulty, I have been comforted time and time again by the Word of God.
In my challenges I have discovered many things about myself and the Lord. This verse in 2 Corinthians has been of great comfort for me during some of these trying times. In them I see three things I can hold onto as I encounter life’s curve balls.
2Co 4:16-17 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. (17) For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
First, I admit that there is a challenge. Coming to terms with the struggle is the first step for me to begin accepting it. Paul tells us to not lose heart and we are wasting away. The fact is, we are wasting away. Our bodies fall apart, our loved ones die, our life is filled with many challenges. Coming to terms with this is key, and to grieve in the process gets me through. Oh, there may be lots and lots of tears and heartache, but we do not lose heart. Peter tells us that we can cast our cares on the Lord because he cares for us. He will never leave us or forsake us and is always there to bring comfort in our times of greatest need.
So my second discovery is that I am being renewed day by day in my spirit. My inner being is growing upward toward the Lord as my outer being is decaying and life around me is crumbling. It may not feel like renewal at the time, but once the grieving process is reaching it’s end I see light at the end of the tunnel. The psalmist tells us that my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Our hope isn’t in anything but the Lord.
Jesus Christ is the one who renews us,
strengthens us, and sets us back on our feet.
When I put my hope in the situation I am often let down, so I had to discover that my renewal is in the Lord and not the outcome of the situation.
The third thing I have discovered in my difficulties is that there is grace and hope in Jesus Christ. Paul says it like this, “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” These things, whatever they are, are preparing me for an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison. So, what does that mean? It sounds great, but where is the hope? What is this weight of glory Paul is talking about? And to call what I am going through light and momentary seems a bit callous. These are hard times!
Paul was a master at understanding his trials and putting them into their proper perspective. He has shown me that we will face suffering here on this earth, yet, it is temporary. He says our present sufferings are passing away. What is seen (our circumstances) is temporal, but what is not seen (our spiritual renewal) is eternal. Our temporal challenges will be replaced by His glory that will never fade away. It is our never ending inheritance in Jesus Christ. So my hope comes in the reality that my struggle, my job loss, my family problems are temporal. It will have its run for a season and will pass, but ultimately my hope is in the reminder that it is all for a greater purpose. Glory! It is for His glory in me.
It isn’t simply that my affliction will be replaced by glory,
but it is producing a greater glory.
Paul says that there is a connection between how I endure hardship and how much I will enjoy the glory of God in eternity. This light momentary affliction is preparing for us the glory to come.
Coming to terms with my struggle, not losing heart in my grief, and seeing the hope of greater glory gets me through the difficulties I face in this life. God is good and he is doing a work in each of us in and through the struggles we go through.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings,
Keith