What is the first word that comes to mind when I say, ‘easy?’ I would guess many would say, ‘hard.’ Opposite words, ideas and positions help to bring definition to many areas of life.
Paul, in his letter to the believers in Corinth uses contrasts to help people think objectively about daily challenges in life that may seem hard. Comparing the “momentary, light affliction” to an “eternal weight of glory” seems to set perspective for him. He uses two more contrasts to bring clarity to what is important in the Christian life: seen and unseen, temporal and eternal.
Paul’s message to his audience is to fix their gaze on the invisible instead of on all that is being experienced in the visible world around them. He is clearly seeking to motivate his audience by connecting the dots: the visible world that equates to temporal and the invisible world that equates to eternal.
What does it mean to have an eternal perspective? Paul’s invitation is to help us understand that all we see and touch now will fade away someday. We should be fixated on the invisible spiritual reality that is real and everlasting.
Are you, with full anticipation, embracing the invitation to set your gaze on the invisible and eternal? With societal pressures, it is so easy to be caught in the world of the seen and temporal.
Father God, you are invisible but real. You are unseen but I see your hand at work everywhere I go. You are eternal and I need to put my trust in you rather than in possessions or people in this world. Help me to keep my focus in the right place. Amen.
For Today: Ponder on this statement that I heard years ago: “There are only three eternal things, God, his word and the souls of people.” Are you focusing on these? How is the dynamic of the temporal and eternal playing out in your life?