2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

I quote this verse so often, and there are certainly other magnificent, vitally important verses in this chapter, that I almost didn’t choose to write on it, but it is extremely pertinent to the current season. This verse needs to be coupled in our minds with the widely quoted secular aphorism, “This too will pass.” Perspective can be very hard to come by at times. Presented with the immediate crisis, we panic as though the worst possible outcome were guaranteed, when that is not the position of faith at all. We live in the flow of time and we are accountable for our stewardship of the time we are given, but temporal things are by definition temporary. We are so prone to forget that, emotionally at least, and that destroys our peace and upends our priorities. We are to appreciate the good times, but not demand that they continue forever. We are to endure the hard times, and rejoice that they will not continue forever. Eternity is for after this life! That takes care of the “momentary” part of this verse, but we are still faced with the “light” part. In the middle of it, any trial seems more severe than it actually is. It is only after we have gotten through it that we can look back and recognize that God was with us the whole time and we actually had nothing to worry about. It is as such experiences pile up that our faith is strengthened and we indeed learn to rest, relax, and rejoice in our Savior.

The reason this is so timely for me is the calendar. Every year I tend to dread Christmas because of how busy I am with various special events. I expect many if not most pastors feel that way. Tomorrow we will have our regular service and then in the afternoon we will be decorating the building for Christmas, culminating in the church Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow night. As an introvert, I don’t enjoy the busyness of it all, nor do I enjoy my unavoidable leadership role in it. This morning I woke up at 3:25 and was unable to go back to sleep for thinking about it all. That’s not exercising faith! We have done this successfully year after year, and we will get through it this year as well. Every year there are some different challenges, but we have the same God, and He is more than able to deal with everything. I have two weddings to officiate today, but they won’t take the whole day. I have to go pick some people up tomorrow morning, because their usual driver has to work, but there really will be time to do that. The problems are almost all in my head, taking my eyes off of my Lord and feeling I have to do everything in my own strength alone. That’s a lie of the devil, and I must stand against it. God can and will carry me through every moment of the next two days, so I should shut up and enjoy the ride!

Father, thank You for this very necessary reminder. I quote this verse to other people all the time; help me keep it in the forefront of my own awareness. Help me indeed submit and surrender every issue to You, so that Your unfathomable peace may guard my heart and mind in Christ Jesus my Lord, (Philippians 4:7) for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!