For our momentary, light suffering is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison because we are not looking at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen. For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17,18 NET)
Paul wrote this passage, just like all Scripture is written, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. So when he describes our problems as “momentary” and “light”, that is also how God looks at our problems. I bet many of us do not routinely describe what we’re going through this way, but we should. We are so unaware of how much the devil works to exaggerate the negative and downplay the positive. Every day good things happen to us, and yet it’s so natural for us to remember the bad and forget the good. But when we do this we put ourselves in a bind because we give our problems room to work, and close the door on God turning the situation around.
Years ago a good friend and member of the church asked me, “Why do we always just wait for the devil to attack? Why don’t we beat him to the punch and attack first?” And he was so right. Many times our “Christian walk” is waiting for the devil and his demons to attack, and then trying to put out the fire, all the while being impressed and depressed with the power of the devil to throw a wrench into our lives. But if we would have faith at times that things go wrong, go on the war path, and attack the devil more than he’s attacking us, we would be able to turn the table on our situation and experience the power of God, and the devil would be sent packing with his tail between his legs.
Stop defining your problems as hard; define them as momentary and light! One time Jesus said to His disciples: Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. (Mark 10:30) What we need to concentrate on is the invisible power of God to totally change our lives. What we see is temporary, what we do not see is eternal. We need to stop making such a big deal about the physical things around us, and focus on God, His Spirit, the power of Jesus’ name on our lips, and God’s promises that are about to come true.
I challenge you to redefine your problems, and never refer to them as hard and overwhelming ever again. The glory that we will experience here on earth and in heaven far out weights any hardships we go through.
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