Perspective

16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 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! 18 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 4:16-18 NLT

I love what Pastor Tony Evans has to say about this passage.

If you have not yet experienced signs of aging, you will! But though our bodies grow older and decay, we believers are becoming strengthened in our inner person, which is where our treasure is (4:7). Believers should be growing spiritually younger as they grow physically older. We are being made fit for our future heavenly home, and this happens through a process that comes day by day.

In verse 17, Paul understands that negative circumstances have a positive effect when we trust and obey God through them.

If your tribulations seem long and heavy, you’re looking at the wrong thing. To put it another way, if all you see is what you see, then you do not see all there is to be seen! Paul is not saying we must close our eyes to the reality of our suffering; he’s saying we need to open our eyes by faith to unseen realities that will last forever. An eternal perspective gives the believer the ability to handle the struggles of this life.

Prayer:

Father,
           Thank You for reminding us to look for, see and embrace Your perspective on life and its trials. Help us to remember that ALL things work for our good, to build Christ-like character in us, and to learn to love as You love. Holy Spirit, keep us looking up, above our circumstances. Help us to never lose sight of eternity and to always look for Your touch in everything that touches our lives. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen