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?