Have you ever felt overwhelmed, discouraged, lonely, burned out, or betrayed as a believer? Sometimes, the pressure and stress of life can cause us to doubt God’s care. Battles with chronic sin can leave us guilt-ridden and feeling like spiritual failures. Other believers sometimes let us down or hurt us in some way, dampening our desire to be a part of the church.
In the face of challenges like these, it’s easy to lose heart.
Paul was no stranger to these kinds of feelings. He told the Corinthian believers, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9)
Instead of getting discouraged, Paul declares twice in 2 Cor. 4, “We do not lose heart.” So, how did Paul not lose heart in the face of all the difficulty he endured? Fortunately, he shared his three keys for not losing heart.
“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Co 4:16–18)
The first key to not losing heart begins with daily renewal! Just like you can’t drive forever on last week’s tank of gas, there’s no way to thrive for long on last week’s Bible reading or Sunday’s sermon. We need time in God’s Word and prayer every day. We need daily renewal.
Second, we need to remind ourselves that our current troubles are temporary and won’t last forever. The greatest glory is growing in our faith amidst the trials. That’s the success that matters most.
Finally, we need to refocus on things that are eternal but unseen. It’s tempting to fixate on the challenges we can see and forget the characteristics of God we can’t – things like God’s unconditional love for us, His all-sufficient grace, His great and precious promises, and His unwavering faithfulness.
Take a few minutes, sit quietly with God, and let the Holy Spirit renew your heart today!
In the face of challenges like these, it’s easy to lose heart.
Paul was no stranger to these kinds of feelings. He told the Corinthian believers, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (2 Cor. 4:8-9)
Instead of getting discouraged, Paul declares twice in 2 Cor. 4, “We do not lose heart.” So, how did Paul not lose heart in the face of all the difficulty he endured? Fortunately, he shared his three keys for not losing heart.
“Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Co 4:16–18)
The first key to not losing heart begins with daily renewal! Just like you can’t drive forever on last week’s tank of gas, there’s no way to thrive for long on last week’s Bible reading or Sunday’s sermon. We need time in God’s Word and prayer every day. We need daily renewal.
Second, we need to remind ourselves that our current troubles are temporary and won’t last forever. The greatest glory is growing in our faith amidst the trials. That’s the success that matters most.
Finally, we need to refocus on things that are eternal but unseen. It’s tempting to fixate on the challenges we can see and forget the characteristics of God we can’t – things like God’s unconditional love for us, His all-sufficient grace, His great and precious promises, and His unwavering faithfulness.
Take a few minutes, sit quietly with God, and let the Holy Spirit renew your heart today!