2 Corinthians 4:16-18 —
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 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, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Let’s consider this exhortation. Notice how the apostle Paul in writing about the “momentary troubles” we experience, differentiates between the things we see and what we don’t see. In effect he’s saying, Don’t let your attention linger over the interruptions, setbacks, difficulties, or frustrations that unsettle the flow of your day — they are the stuff you see.
Focus instead on what you don’t see — the “unseen” purpose and plan they’re intended to serve. And he calls that purpose, “eternal glory.” I suggest to you that he’s not referring to eventually being a blazing light in the celestial sky. The glory of God is his self-giving, self-sacrificial nature of pure helpfulness. That is intended to be our glory as well — the capacity to unhesitatingly and selflessly help others at all times and under all circumstances. It is to that end that, though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
