Do Not Lose Heart

 February 1, 2024

Thursday

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 (NASB 2020) 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer person is decaying, yet our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18 while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

There came an age when I noticed that I was getting older. I think I was in denial for a long time. I kept thinking I could do everything I could always do. This is when I realized I couldn’t.

Yet, I have realized something else, as well. I am being renewed day by day in my spirit. I know the Lord better than I ever did before. I grieve over my sins more than I did before. I pray fervently more. There is more joy in seeing people come to know the Lord. There is more joy in seeing a wayward person recommit himself or herself to the Lord. People mean more to me.

That’s the way it is when you have more years behind you than you have in front of you. The things that are important become important to you.

If I remain faithful, the rewards that I will receive will be mine in eternity. (I say if because I know that I can turn from my walk with the Lord as I turned from my sinful life to walk with the Lord.) I don’t want to lose those rewards by acting like this life is eternity. What has been given is no true sacrifice because it becomes a reward in eternity. What has been suffered for faithfulness to the Lord will be a reward. This life is truly for a moment.

I see too many people who think this life is all there is. They think money will buy them everything they want. The think others should know who they are and honor them. They think their own Christian lives should be soothing rather than serving. They see only what their humanity allows them to see. I wonder if they realize that it will all be gone some day. I wonder if they know that they are not building rewards for themselves in heaven.

There is a glory in eternity for the Christian who serves the Lord that has no comparison on this earth. Sure, we serve the Lord because we love Him, but we also have rewards that await us if we are faithful. It’s worth continuing to serve Him here and forever.