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.”
People of God, no matter how affluent your family are, how ‘well-connected’ you may be, how academically qualified you have become or how physically fit you feel, there is no one living in this world who will escape life’s challenges. As long as we are living in this world, we will encounter ‘light and momentary troubles’. It could be a diagnosis that discloses a condition, a betrayal that brings isolation or the unfaithfulness of the economy that drains your natural resources – something that seems to remove the safety nets of comfort and convenience in your life. While others may fear these uncertainties of life, as Christians, we are to move in and be motivated by faith, not fear. Therefore, instead of closing our ears to bad news, we open our hearts to good news (Psalm 112:7); instead of denying sense-evidence, we magnify Spirit evidence (Romans 4:19-21); instead of putting our heads in the sand we put our feet on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-25). While others may position themselves to avoid bad news, as a Christian, position God’s Word as the filter through which you view whatever life brings to you.
Your challenge is not a crisis because God can work all things together for your good. See your situation as a stepping stone to your destiny, to your future – not a stumbling block. But be conscious that the real crisis is not what happens to you but what happens in you. If your challenge takes you away from God, misleads you to a sinful response or causes you to look for alternatives outside of Christ, that is the real crisis.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to view my challenge in the light of God’s Word. Help me to be consistent and persistent in faith instead of shrinking back in fear when trouble strikes. In Jesus’ name, amen.