Significant Hope

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
II Corinthians 4:17

Consider the word weight which may convey the heaviness of life’s burdens or the great influence one person has over another. Place a box of shoes on the scales and it will register differently in weight than a box of marshmallows. However, weight may also convey significance.

Today’s verse speaks of eternal glory being significantly weightier than the ‘lighter’ weight of our troubles.

At first glance, it looks as if the author, Paul, is dismissing our hardships. Does he have any compassion? Why is he labeling the tough situations his readers experience as no more than a light trouble versus what we feel is impossibly heavy? Sometimes, the heaviness we undergo from our trials is far more of a burden than we can handle.

Yet, let’s return to significant as defining weight and hear what Paul is truly saying: Our troubles do matter, but his focus in our verse is on the hope of a wondrous future that matters even more. Our eternal glory (versus momentary troubles) accomplishes that very thing. We hurt yet are comforted in knowing that our pain will someday come to an end, and God’s glory will wipe away all tears and suffering.

Our troubles will not last forever. There is an end in sight, and oh, what a glorious end!

Peace, or even joy, do not free us from our struggles while here on earth. We struggle anyway, whether we have peace and joy or not. But, the coming eternal glory of heaven and being in God’s presence far more outweighs everything we go through in our earthbound bodies.

Our minds cannot even fathom what is to come. When we try to imagine it, it is beyond our comprehension.

In the midst of hardships we feel and see, we fix our eyes on what is unseen, on what will transpire in time. The heavy illness or harsh circumstance in front of us, now, become beautiful reminders of the glory ahead (glory actually means ‘weighty’). Our physical, emotional and mental frailties and handicaps can take us into the spiritual world where all we see and behold is the face of God.

In the context of today’s verse, Paul is speaking of the trials that Christian’s underwent because of their stance on Christ (who knew these trials well!) They were afflicted and persecuted for their beliefs. Paul wanted them to see into the heavens a glimpse of the comfort that was ahead. He wanted them to know that their troubles were actually working them towards (achieving for them) the eternal glory of God.

Like a mother-to-be labors to have her child, we work through our sufferings and find our hearts not so fixed on the things of this world. We discover the purifying nature of our pain and the training of our thoughts to turn toward Him alone. We realize the temporary tents of our bodies and the transient nature of earth. Heaven is our true home!

Thoughts such as these that Paul was relating to them had the potential to change their perspective in terrible circumstances. And we can use these same thoughts to help us through the difficulties we go through.

Lord, give us spiritual eyes to see and have hope for more than just bad circumstances. Help us to transform what is happening around and into us into angels of mercy that are moving us toward something grand that nothing can neither destroy nor harm. Our hearts cannot take it all in. What amazing wonder is in front of us. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.