Thursday, September 2, 2010

Message from Darren Johnson, Development Director

“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
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.”
II Corinthians 4:16-18

A couple of years ago I had hip surgery. It was becoming really obvious to me that the outward man was perishing. The doctors told me that my recovery period would be painful and would last around 8 weeks. Suffering has a way of expanding time. During my recovery period I wondered if those eight weeks would ever end. It seemed like the pain I had before surgery was much more tolerable than the pain I had during this recovery. There were times that I would get so mad for having the surgery. I thought that I would never recover. Well nine weeks after surgery I finally did recover. The pain that I experienced for years was gone. It was wonderful!

Our life is just a vapor compared with eternity. The afflictions that we go through are truly “just for a moment”; they are temporary. Through these afflictions, as we put our faith and trust in God, He develops within us a depth of character that cannot be developed any other way. It is easy for us to become so focused on our material surroundings that we lose sight of the eternal. God has an eternity planned for us. He desires that we look at the eternal and place our value in the eternal things. "Looking unto Jesus," keeping our eyes on Him, "the author and the finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2).

Have a great day in the Lord!

1 comment:

  1. Darren: Right on. We too easily focus on the here and now instead of the 'hereafter'. Thank you for these words.

    ReplyDelete

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