Notes
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.” We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
2 Corinthians 4:7-18
There is a notion in our world that once you come to Jesus, everything will be easier. But that is far from the truth! Following Jesus brings difficulties and challenges into our lives. But, our challenges are an opportunity for God to come alive. With Him, we can get back up after a fall even when life wants us to quit.
In the verses above, the word “glory” comes from a Hebrew word meaning “to give great honor, respect” or “to give weight to.” Here are three ways we can give God glory, or weight, in the middle of difficult times:
1) Give weight to God’s power
Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
1 Peter 4:12
The power at work in us is greater than the trials that surround us. The way we exercise the power of God is by continually letting His Word speak into us. Let the words of your Creator have more weight to you than the circumstances you are in.
2) Give weight to your purpose
Our purpose as followers of Jesus is to be on display, to be reflections of Him to those around us. Often, it’s not on the mountaintops that our light shines the brightest, but in the valleys. Remember that the work God is doing in you is greater than what you are experiencing externally. Put your weight on what Jesus has done and what He has said about you.
3) Give weight to your future
In Jesus, the future is bright. God’s Word paints a picture of a future that outweighs anything we can imagine. Our current troubles will look minuscule in comparison to His glory.
Group Questions
- What does it mean to give glory, or to give weight to, something or someone?
- What kinds of work does God do in His people?
- What does God say our purpose is as His followers?
- How can we keep the future as our focus?
Prayer
Thank you for giving us a purpose. We give you all of the glory in everything we do. This week, help us to keep our focus on the right things.