The End of Pain

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. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ESV). We’ve been looking at adversity over the last few days. Today we continue that thought a bit longer. In our reading today, the Apostle Paul says we “do not lose heart… because of the light and momentary afflictions.” I believe what the apostle is saying with all of my heart. It has been my experience that my trials have always been “light and momentary” after they’re over! If you’re like me, you’ve experienced this too. When we are going through the difficulty, they are anything but light or fleeting. The reason for that is in our focus. We’re looking at what is happening at that moment, rather than what God is doing ultimately in our lives. Adversity prepares us for what God has ahead. God's people will be better off eternally because they suffered temporarily. The tradeoff in eternity will bear this out. Our troubles won't last forever. The argument for the greater good may be the strongest biblical case for the whys of human suffering. But it requires great trust on our part. This means that we need to look at our suffering and say, "It will all make sense in eternity, and it will produce something that would not have been there otherwise. So in faith, I am going to accept this truth and wait to see the outcome." Despite the worst tragedy, God can bring good out of bad. That doesn't mean He makes bad things good. But it does mean that despite bad things, He can bring good. This is an important distinction, because often people are looking for cause and effect. They try to connect the dots: This bad thing happened so this good thing would happen. . . . And this even better thing happened. Now I get it. Sometimes life works that way. It did for Joseph. After being betrayed by his brothers, he was able to tell them, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people" (cf. Genesis 50:20). But sometimes we can't see the outcome. It may be years before you are able to see and experience the good God is working in your life. The truth is that, ultimately, all things work together for good for God’s children. The end of pain is our good. It is our eternal life!