August 21, 2023

II Corinthians 4: 16 Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. (NIV)

He came to transform us so we could live here in a way that anticipates how we will live in Heaven.*

There are steps we can take to improve our chances for good health and a longer life. By neglect and poor choices, we can also reduce the number of healthy days we experience. But the truth is, when it comes to our bodies, we are essentially powerless. People who participate in risky behavior often lead long healthy lives, while others die from diseases that should never have had a toehold in their systems. But Paul says that while our bodies are guaranteed to turn on us eventually, we have no reason to despair.

“Therefore, we do not lose heart,” Paul writes. Therefore begs the question: why? Because of what he wrote in verse 14: we know that the one who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us – with Jesus! This is a promise that became more meaningful for me as I watched my husband struggle with terminal pancreatic cancer. Outwardly, he was definitely wasting away. But inwardly . . . he was renewed.

What does inward renewal look like? With our eyes fixed on the unseen (verse 18), we view life on earth from a different perspective. When spiritual renewal is your reality, you become hyper-aware of the meaninglessness of most human pursuits. Relationships matter more than things. Joy is not impacted by outward influences. Coming face-to-face with God is a much-anticipated occasion, not a vague and almost-dreaded future event. As it turns out, by admitting that we are dying, we really begin to live!

If we know the way life in God’s kingdom will one day be, why don’t we begin to live that reality right here, right now in the midst of troubled days?*