Longing – 2 Corinthians 5:1-5

For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, inasmuch as we, having put it on, will not be found naked. For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed but to be clothed, so that what is mortal will be swallowed up by life. Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

Perhaps medical bracelets with “2 Corinthians 5:1-5” embossed on them would be appropriate for us groaners. When people hear us moaning as we try to move, we can just point to our bracelet and relieve their concerns. Hopefully though, we can do this with a wink so they can see that in spite of our aching bodies, our spirits have that glow of renewal.

Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.  2 Corinthians 4:16

I confess, it is a daily temptation for me to loose heart as my outer man decays and looses strength. When Solomon says, “The glory of young men is their strength” I totally understand. I have desperately clung to every shred of my strength as it has bid me adieu. Men reach the peak of their strength between 30 and 35. It is hard to believe I have been saying goodbye for three decades! It appears that, for our physical bodies anyway, fading glory is our destiny but let’s not write our obituaries quite yet. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 sheds hopeful light on our circumstance …

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

 

 

Where does this light affliction come from that causes us to groan? I have decided it doesn’t matter. It only matters how we respond to it. Through the process of his life working itself out in us, we learn that temporal affliction, whatever its origin, can have a glorious outcome.

So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

If we can learn to respond in Christ, aging is merely light affliction which is producing for myself and my groaning brethren an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. Redemption is embedded by grace into all the circumstance that touch our lives, especially aging. When we learn to respond to our trials and tests we are presenting our hearts of wisdom to the Lord.

What is mortal is being swallowed up by Life. Now He who is preparing us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.

 

Father, while I remain grateful for it, I look forward to life swallowing up the mortality of my body. Until then, teach me to see the unseen as I age. I pray that as the world looks on, they will see the glow of renewal in our eyes, even if our backs are bent. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap