Renewed Every Day

Paul admits that outwardly we are wasting away. Bodies age, energy fades, and sickness comes. Yet inwardly, he says, we are being renewed day by day. He calls present troubles light and momentary compared with a coming glory, not because they are small, but because eternity is so weighty. The key is where we fix our eyes: not on what is seen and temporary, but on what is unseen and lasting. This does not deny pain; Paul suffered greatly. It offers a larger frame so that pain does not have the last word. If you are worn down by illness, age or long difficulty, you are not failing. Today, set aside five minutes to nourish the inner person: read a psalm, pray, sit in silence. Thank God for one thing that is growing quietly inside you, even while circumstances press.