We Do Not Lose Heart

“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.

‘“Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,’ we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” [1]

Do you ever get discouraged? That’s a silly question. Of course, you experience times of discouragement. All of us become discouraged at times. Occasionally, we may encounter someone who appears to have it all together; at least they appear to be on top of everything. When we meet people who give the impression that nothing is lacking in their life, it is natural that we can feel incredibly inferior as we mentally compare ourselves to them. However, when we discover what is really going on in their lives, we may gain a different perspective from what we thought at first. We learn that their buoyant optimism often masks what is really going on; we discover that they are actually denying reality. And none of us really want to deny reality.

I need you to be honest. Do you qualify as one who has some legitimate complaints? If that is true for you, then you are in good company. This message is for you. Do you ever feel afflicted? Are you now, or have you ever been perplexed? Do you know what it is to be persecuted—really and truly persecuted? If you experience any of these conditions, you are definitely in good company. You see, that is precisely how the Apostle to the Gentiles described his life.

On top of these challenges, Paul spoke of “a thorn in the flesh” that bedeviled him throughout his years of service to Christ [see 2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-10]. We have no way of knowing what this condition might have been, though we can speculate. There is some reason to imagine that Paul suffered with a serious eye disease. Other scholars have opined that Paul suffered from epilepsy. Still others have considered that Paul was struck down with malaria, or some blood disorder such as thalassemia. What we do know is that the Apostle pleaded with God three times to be set free, but God did not deliver him.

I am deeply sensitive to the problems people face on an ongoing basis. Devastating financial reversal, catastrophic illness, chronic health concerns, crushing family disputes, divorce that strips us of hope—these and other pressures come into the life of the people of this congregation more frequently than you might ever imagine. My two daughters struggled with a chronic debilitating disease throughout most of their adult lives. My daughter now living in the States still struggles with the effects of Lyme disease, a disease so devastating that it has compelled her to go on long-term disability. The disease my daughters experienced press down on their mother and me, driving us to pray for God’s deliverance, just as Paul pleaded with God to deliver him.

Rather than attempting to catalogue the challenges that come into the lives of all, I’m going to ask you to take a moment to identify the most significant problem you are now facing. Then, I’m going to ask you to honestly answer the question, “Am I successfully coping with this challenge? Am I truly facing the challenge that looms before me?”

The misfortunes of life do not come to all equally, but no one is immune to trials. When you are the one suffering through one of the trials of this life, you may be tempted to believe that the game is rigged, that the dice are loaded, or that someone is dealing from the bottom of the deck. The important thing is not to rage against your condition or the situation that now weighs you down; rather, how you respond to the challenges you face is what is crucial. Trials will keep coming, but what differentiates us is our response to the challenges we face? What are we to do when trouble and trials come?