Lent Day 8: The Unseen

First, this post may be a bit incoherent.  There are so many things going through my head, and I’m not exactly sure where this will end up going or what all it will entail.
Second, please bear with me as I quote a rather long passage of Scripture.  It was too good to pare down . . .

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.  But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.  So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.  It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’  Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself.  All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.  Therefore we do not lose 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 Corinthians 4:6-18

This is another example of experiencing the Living Word in my life.  Numerous times, I have been pressed down, perplexed, and struck down . . . but God has never allowed me to be destroyed.  And I know without a doubt that He is the reason I have come through battles victoriously.  The power is definitely from God and not from me.  I know I couldn’t do this on my own.  He is the Light that wants to be revealed in me, a person born into darkness (but saved by His grace).  In the midst of knowing that today, I still struggled with feeling inadequate and sub-par.

I felt like an emotional yo-yo part of today because my mind wanted to compare myself to others.  I was definitely feeling pressure that I had something or someone to whom I was supposed to measure up.  I felt like I had not measured up to the standards, that I wasn’t good enough for God to be happy with me.  A dear friend reminded me that God is happy with what I accomplished even if it’s not the most top-notch or award-worthy achievement.  His love does not change if someone made a higher test score or final average than I did.  He doesn’t love me any less if I made a B or C instead of an A.  He doesn’t love me less if I failed.  God’s love is not dependent on anything I could ever do. 

That may not seem very connected to 2 Corinthians 4, but I think it is.  When we fix our eyes on what is seen (a poor test score, not accomplishing everything on a to-do list, etc.), we fail to “see” the unseen.  We miss what God is doing because we allow ourselves to be blinded by physical things, things that do not last through eternity.  By focusing on these things, we create our own standards of what is pleasing or acceptable instead of focusing on God, the One who always loves us.  We become wrapped up in success for our own well-being instead of for the glory of God.  Eventually, we become discouraged and lose heart; we become depressed; the flame in us withers to a small candle.  We not only hinder only ourselves, but we also hinder the power of God in us when we rely on ourselves and try to do everything on our own.  But by striving for what is unseen, we keep our focus on God.  We regain our strength and encouragement.  The flame is rekindled.  We realize we are not alone.  We grow closer the One who renews us daily and surrounds us with new mercies every morning.  

By choosing to change our perspective, our lives can be vastly different (in a good way).  I choose to fix my eyes on the unseen and focus on God.  With my gaze upward, God is able to reveal Himself in a stronger way.  By setting my eyes on Him, it’s impossible to become discouraged or feel inadequate; and it is easier to follow where He wants me to go.