Text: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” —2 Corinthians 4:16
At the time, the Thresher was the fastest and quietest nuclear submarine ever built. She also had the most advanced weapons system to date. But in one tragic event in 1963, Thresher sank during deep-diving tests, killing all 129 crew and shipyard personnel aboard. Once the doomed sub had finally been located, they found it broken into six pieces. Though the cause has been hard to decipher, ultimately it appears the Thresher collapsed because they were at a depth where the pressure on the outside became greater than the pressure on the inside.
The Covid-19 crisis has rocked our world in ways unprecedented to this generation. The pandemic has had an ongoing affect on physical and mental wellness, the economy, family life, schooling, jobs, and for many, the ability to pay bills. As we plunge further and further into the depths of a post-Coronavirus world, the pressure on the outside can become greater than the pressure on the inside. When suddenly all of those things we’ve been hanging on to are no longer able to withstand the stress, it can sink us. It can collapse our sense of hope.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians has some powerful words for those who feel on the verge of sinking. It’s a message that is surely relevant to the times in which we are living:
“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair… Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
What was the great secret to Paul’s triumphant hope in the face of such crushing, overwhelming pressure? The most evident thing we see is that he didn’t focus on the exterior circumstances as much as his interior health. When the human spirit is continually being renewed inwardly, it can withstand all the negative forces that beat against us outwardly. That’s why it is important to keep our focus on what truly matters. For Paul, this meant keeping a perspective on what was eternal over what was temporal. His afflictions impelled him to keep that perspective.
Paul knew the power and victory of Jesus in his life because he was continually in situations where only the power and victory of Jesus could meet his need. You might be in that place right now. Sometimes losing our sense of control can get us to that place, where Christ becomes our all-sufficiency in real-time, not just theological belief. We do well to consider that everything Paul said about suffering, he said as a man who very likely suffered more than we ever will. This was not theory to Paul but real life experience. When he writes about “always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,” it seems he believes the death of Jesus was not only historical fact, but truly working in him an effect of dying to self.
What an amazing paradox—where loss leads to gain, death fosters life, suffering produces hope, trials forge strength, and the loss of control leads to more of God’s peace. Truth is, there are some aspects of God’s sanctifying grace that we will only experience through trials, suffering, the diminishment of our comforts, and by coming to the end of ourselves. It’s certainly not cozy getting there, but what a peace we find at that place of surrender.
The pressure on the outside couldn’t overwhelm what was on the inside of Paul, because he constantly lived in a state of Christ-sufficiency. If the pressure of our times has revealed how very much you need the saving and sanctifying sufficiency of Christ, you are in a very good place to get an eternal perspective over the temporal. Think about that as you seek to abide in him this week.
PRAYER
Father, remind us that greater is He that is in us than anything we will ever face in this world. When we feel overwhelmed by the pressures of what’s happening in real-time, may we find that Your grace is sufficient in every way. Lead us to that place of surrender—that place where the will has been broken, and we come to the end of ourselves. Let us not be overcome by the pressures of this world. Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with peace as we abide in the promises of Scripture. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Reflection, Small Group or Family Discussion:
- For what reasons do you most often get discouraged? How would you define faith?
- What areas of life are difficult to entrust completely to God?
- Why did Paul tell the Corinthians not to lose heart? (2 Corinthians 4:1) How did Paul contrast his own weakness with God’s power? (4:8-9) What value did Paul see in his sufferings? (4:10-12)
- What elements of the Christian faith that we cannot see are central to our life with Christ? What does it mean for us to renew our faith? What makes it difficult for us to fix our attention and hope on God?
- When have you felt inner peace in spite of trying circumstances? What do you want to remember the next time you feel discouraged?
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