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Gaining (Glorious) Weight - 2 Cor 4:16



2COR 4:16 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, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

In pursuing God’s glory we are looking for stages and arenas for Him to display Himself in our world, but we do not have to go very far at all; we begin with the everyday little things and work our way in to the bigger ones. That is where affliction comes in  working as the agitation of a washer and providing the friction needed for a good wash.

The disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned? This man or his parents?” Jesus answered, “Neither.” God wants to be glorified—He wants what is hidden to be made known, the hidden things about Himself put on stage as the hero of your life! 

So how broken are we? How broken will we let ourselves be to allow the glory of God to be revealed in us? 

Circumstances will always come and go, but why not capitalize on them instead of just letting them be wasted? Why not have them bring to light your brokenness and your need for God and then pray and fast and suffer in it so the stage is set for your Heavenly Father to come on the stage, be the hero, and deliver you and provide for you in ways you never dreamed of? 

However, we should not sabotage our lives to create the stage ourselves; we should not merely sit as a victim, nor should put ourselves in “jumping off the temple” situations as if to tempt God to intervene. Somewhere in the middle of the extremes sits you. You are there, the real you with real problems you cannot solve on your own and unless you have help you are going down into yet another problem; 

and there are only so many times you can go down until you have gone under and are buried in your pain, your rejection, your brokenness, weakness, and incapability.

The temptation is taking things into your own hands like Judas or denying God like Peter. Paul had plenty of afflictions. The absence of afflictions does not mean we are more godly or graced than others. It may mean the opposite and that you are losing weight, glorious weight meant for God.

What is this eternal weight of glory? How are afflictions preparing us for it? How does our perspective of the eternal versus the temporary help in our “gaining glory weight?” Are YOU gaining weight these days? What does it mean when it says “this” light momentary affliction?
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Location: Marion, IN, USA

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