2 Cor 4:17-18 = "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal"
The 1st verse in this passage has bothered me in the past. "Light and momentary troubles" - really? They don't seem very light or momentary when I'm in the midst of them! My husband being fired unjustly; my son being bullied; migraines and anemia related to my period; just buying a house, living with my parents, only 1 very part time job between the 2 of us with no insurance coverage - THEN finding out I'm pregnant! Those are all heavy things. In the middle of each one of them I certainly didn't feel they were "light" or "momentary". They felt like they'd last FOREVER!
But then, God showed me that in light of eternity, they are light and momentary. When I take my eyes off the temporary - the struggles, trials, difficulties - and fix my eyes on HIM, each thing loses its weight.
Lysa says, on page 134, "Instead of letting my thoughts get swept up in the troubles and inconveniences of the here and now, I can choose to focus on how temporary those troubles and inconveniences are in light of eternity…Yes, this situation is a bummer. But since I am a child of God, my position allows me to see past the circumstance and find reasons to praise God and thank Him always."
When Mike was fired - people brought us groceries, paid for date nights, he was able to spend time remodeling the house. My son being bullied has led to great discussions about friendships and how to love our enemies. My health issues took me to the point of a hysterectomy and now I'm in the best health I've been in years. The home purchase/no job/pregnancy struggle caused me to trust God more fully and prepared me for 2 more "God-planned pregnancies".
As the song by Sara Groves, "He's Always Been Faithful" says,
"God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me"
How about you - How have you seen your troubles as "light and momentary" instead of weighty?
The 1st verse in this passage has bothered me in the past. "Light and momentary troubles" - really? They don't seem very light or momentary when I'm in the midst of them! My husband being fired unjustly; my son being bullied; migraines and anemia related to my period; just buying a house, living with my parents, only 1 very part time job between the 2 of us with no insurance coverage - THEN finding out I'm pregnant! Those are all heavy things. In the middle of each one of them I certainly didn't feel they were "light" or "momentary". They felt like they'd last FOREVER!
But then, God showed me that in light of eternity, they are light and momentary. When I take my eyes off the temporary - the struggles, trials, difficulties - and fix my eyes on HIM, each thing loses its weight.
Lysa says, on page 134, "Instead of letting my thoughts get swept up in the troubles and inconveniences of the here and now, I can choose to focus on how temporary those troubles and inconveniences are in light of eternity…Yes, this situation is a bummer. But since I am a child of God, my position allows me to see past the circumstance and find reasons to praise God and thank Him always."
When Mike was fired - people brought us groceries, paid for date nights, he was able to spend time remodeling the house. My son being bullied has led to great discussions about friendships and how to love our enemies. My health issues took me to the point of a hysterectomy and now I'm in the best health I've been in years. The home purchase/no job/pregnancy struggle caused me to trust God more fully and prepared me for 2 more "God-planned pregnancies".
As the song by Sara Groves, "He's Always Been Faithful" says,
"God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me"
How about you - How have you seen your troubles as "light and momentary" instead of weighty?