October 18, 2024

II Corinthians 4.17 (NIV)

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

If Paul’s difficulties were “light and momentary troubles,” what are you and I complaining about?*

I was a single mom with twin boys. One hot summer day (I live in Florida!), I was running errands with my boys in the car. They weren’t walking yet so at every stop I had to get out, get the stroller out of the trunk, set it up (never easy!), get one boy out of his car seat, strap him in the stroller, go around to the other side and get the other boy out, strap him in the stroller. I guess I don’t have to tell you about the reverse procedure . . . Anyway, we were all hot, miserable, and cranky, and I indulged in an epic pity-party. Poor me. Doing this all by myself. Sniff sniff. Later, while I was still sulking, God provided me with a ringside seat as another mother proceeded to unload her son from the car. Into a wheelchair. He was much older than my children and clearly would never graduate from wheels to walking.

Perspective. It cured me of my whining. My boys eventually learned to walk and lead normal healthy lives. One challenging day – or several – is not a lifetime.

By labeling our troubles as light and momentary, Paul isn’t “downplaying our problems as if they were no big deal.”* There are plenty of examples in the gospels of Jesus’ concern for our everyday problems – from missing a meal to suffering from a bleeding disorder one’s whole life. But stand your problems up next to your ultimate reward and you will see which one is tall and which one is short.

Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom is not just a gospel for dying, but for living! It gives purpose to every day, and at the end of the road, Heaven awaits.*