The only thing constant is change. The only change that most people like are changes that they control and initiate. Other than that change is seldom seen as a good thing. But change is inevitable.
Many changes can be absorbed into our lives without major upheaval but then there are the changes that are forever: financial reversals, the loss of health, loss of loved ones, earthquakes, floods, natural disasters, even global pandemics can radically alter life as we know it.
How should we think when those things happen?
What the Bible says about change
The Apostle Paul knew a lot about change. On a personal level he went from being Saul of Tarsus, one of the most powerful and respected pharisees to being a devoted and often persecuted missionary and disciple of the Lord Jesus.
He lived through wars, rebellions, plagues, imprisonments, shipwrecks, beatings, stonings, and even snakebites. All of this while starting and nurturing early churches throughout the known world.
Surely one of his most daunting challenges was keeping these early churches encouraged and focused during the Roman persecution and the ever changing and often difficult times in which he lived.
Such was the case to the church in Corinth which faced challenges from both the outside and the inside. In one of the most stirring motivational speeches of all time Paul led them through a paradigm shift and gave them an entirely new perspective of life.
“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 at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ESV)
Don’t lose heart
Scripture doesn’t tell us what the Corinthian church was going through but it was rough. They were losing heart and it was taking a toll on them physically. Whether persecution or famine, war or even disease they were suffering physically and emotionally.
The first thing the Apostle Paul did was to encourage them to not lose heart. He then acknowledged their physical pain while assuring them that their inner being was being renewed day by day. Then as now, many view pain as pain and want the pain to go away as quickly as possible.
The paradigm shift was to help them see that their outward physical affliction was but a minor, momentary means to an end of producing something major, eternal and wonderful in their inner being that was beyond their comprehension. A comparison might be if receiving a single painful vaccination could assure you of perpetual good health.
Focus on eternal things
Next Paul helped them with their perspective by challenging them to focus not on the visible things that are seen, but on the invisible things that are not seen. Human nature is to focus on the physical and material things of life which are fleeting and temporary. Rather he told them to focus on the invisible things which are permanent and eternal.
It’s easy to work for, cherish, value, and find our happiness in pleasure, comfort, and possessions. But those things can slip away during times of calamity.
It’s a different paradigm to focus on the invisible yet eternal things of life. First and foremost among these is our relationship with God. It’s the difference between having treasure on earth where moths and rust corrupt and thieves break in and steal, or having treasure in Heaven which is eternally secure.
The choice between better and bitter
It’s been said that suffering either makes us better or it makes us bitter. Corrie Ten Boom once said “hold the things of this world loosely, for if we hold them too tight it will hurt terribly when they are taken from us.”
We too can have a paradigm shift as we learn to distinguish between our physical body (the outer self) and our eternal soul and spirit (the inner self). Anything that God allows in the physical world is only a minor and momentary means to an end of helping us grow and change spiritually.
Slowly, our perspective shifts from the very temporary world in which we now live to our eternal home in Heaven. Our trust in the God who owns us grows ever stronger as our trust in what we thought we owned begins to fade.
Few people truly enjoy change they didn’t initiate. No one enjoys change that is unpleasant, let alone painful. However, we have the power to choose how we respond.
We can resist and resent change. We can question God and ask, “Why me?” Or we can accept and adapt to change. We can ask, “What’s next?” and trust God more.
As we do, a thousand promises of His Word become ours for the taking, our faith becomes sight, and like Paul we begin to see that which is both invisible and eternal.