For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Declarations like this one from Paul should be repeated by every Christian every day, so that we might be reminded to keep such a perspective on things. Perhaps if we are constantly meditating on the eternal, we might stop living for the temporal. 

These days I wake up mildly distressed. I cannot pinpoint any reason for it and after I get situated at Starbucks with my tall Pike, I'm completely fine. But in that first moment of waking, I feel anxious. A kind of helpless nervousness washes over me. 

Not too long ago I came upon this website called LifeHack.org. It appears to be a site dedicated to inspire and motivate. I really enjoy reading the articles I find here. Recently, I came across an article entitled "20 Ways to Wake Up With Motivation" by Onder Hassan. Here's what he suggests to wake up motivated:

1. Have your biggest dreams written and visible for you to see the minute you wake up.
2. Focus on what needs to be done for that day.
3. Stretch and Exercise before starting your day.
4. Practice Discipline to help you follow through with your tasks.
5. Take regular breaks.
6. Call up friends and family and share your thoughts.
7. Always aim to look your best at all times.
8. Plan and take short trips abroad multiple times a year.
9. Keep improving yourself.
10. Start a personal blog and share your discoveries with the world.
11. Spend an hour a day learning new skills.
12. Aim to give more in value than you expect to receive.
13. Start talking to strangers and making new friends.
14. Look for mentors who are already doing the things you would like to achieve.
15. Spend a few hours a day purely for fun and leisure.
16. Focus on creating a balanced life.
17. Pursue things that scares you and makes you feel uncomfortable.
18. Learn how to sell and market yourself.
19. Build a mastermind group to share ideas with.
20. Don’t take life too seriously.

When I first read this article, I thought, "How practical! How helpful! I'm going to try this out." But then I read the Scriptures. Not that any of these suggetions are contrary to Scripture, but I could not help thinking that they were simply bandaids, diversionary tactics to gloss over the vanity of life. Perhaps only the very last suggestion is somewhat close to the message of Scripture, namely, that this present life is passing away and so only what is in keeping with the will of God will endure forever. 

I have decided that I do not want to be motivated about this life. I would rather be motivated about the eternal hope that God has in store for me in heaven, a hope which does not depend upon my performance, or lack of it, in this life but on what Jesus has perfectly accomplished for me through the cross.  

I am saved by God's grace. I am being sanctified by His power. And I will soon be glorified in fulfillment of His promises to all who hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. This one thought alone motivates me above anything else when I wake up in the morning. I hope it motivates you as well.

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer (2 Corinthians 1:6).

This is an unusual turn of a phrase. Since Paul wrote, "If we are distressed, it is for your comfort," the logical follow-up might be, "If we are comforted, it is for your distress." But Paul's point is that whether he and his fellow ministers are distressed or comforted, it is for the benefit of these Corinthian believers to whom he is writing. 

What is Paul's point? It is a powerful one. Paul is highlighting the self-less nature of their ministry. Their primary concern is to bring comfort, salvation and encouragement to the Corinthian believers and not to serve themselves. So elsewhere Paul would write,

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved (1 Corinthians 10:31-33).

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others (Philippians 2:3-4).

Paul's focus was on others and not on himself. Therefore, he did everything to further this end, even providing for his own material needs. He did not want to be accused of preaching the Gospel for pay. This is why he writes some verses later, 

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God (2 Corinthians 2:17).

This was one of the things that he feared. He writes,

If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:12).

I have heard that there is a pastor in Dallas that peach in a $10 million church. What is more, he has also built a $25 million home for himself. Some may disagree with me on this, but I, nevertheless, raise the question. Could it be that such behavior may "hinder the gospel of Christ"? Might some people think that this pastor is "peddling the Word of God for profit"? 

Yet, consider how Paul characterizes the ministry of Christ:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

So, I ask the question again, is this the kind of example many ministers ought to demonstrate today? 

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We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).

Paul writes that things got so bad in their ministry that they thought they would all certainly perish. The pressure was great. They could not endure it. They were sure they were going to die. But Paul does not end there. He gives an explanation for this. 

He writes, "But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead." In other words, this life-threatening, unbearable situation was God-ordained. God allowed it so that they might not trust in their own ability to handle the hardship but on God, who does the impossible, namely, giving life to the dead. 

Therefore, Paul did not look at difficulties in ministry as God losing control or even as personal failure, but he saw them as all part of God's plan, whether that plan was in the saving of souls or the sanctifying of saints.

This is what all of us need to understand. God is always in control, and everything is in keeping with His plan. And all things will work out in keeping with His purposes (Romans 8:28). But for our part, let us always be trusting and obedient to His Word in any and every circumstance.

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The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. Another reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.(2 Corinthians 2:6-11).

Who is Paul referring to here when he writes, "You ought to forgive and comfort him..." Who is the "him"? It may very well be that Paul is referring to the unrepentant sinner Paul judged in 1 Corinthians 5. If you recall in that chapter, Paul told the church to throw him out of their fellowship, to "hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 5:5).

It appears that the Corinthian church obeyed and threw him out. But now the man is repentant, and the church was reluctant to receive him back. So Paul is now reminding them that the purpose of church discipline is not to estrange  and excommunicate but to reform, reconcile and heal. He encourages the church to "reaffirm their love for him" and to "forgive" him. He writes that they should do this so that Satan does not get the upper hand. Even though the man was initially "handed over to Satan," it was only meant to be temporary, so that he might come to his senses and repent. But not to receive him back would be to give Satan the advantage, because Satan would have thwarted Jesus' purpose in ministry, which is to glorify God through a ministry of love and reconciliation. 

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He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life... Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!... Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. (2 Corinthians 3:6, 7-8, 11, 15-16).

I draw your attention to this passage primarily because of the saying "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." This is often quoted as an argument against "legalism," where strict attention is given to the words and rules of Scripture in contrast to living by "spiritual" truths. This is not the meaning whatsoever.

The contrast presented in this text is clearly between the Old Covenant Mosaic Law and the New Covenant way of the Spirit. This is also contrast given in Romans 7:6, where Paul writes,

But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.

In both passages Paul is arguing that believers are no longer ministers and servants of the Old Covenant, which is represented by terms like "the letter" or "the old way of the written code". Believers are ministers and servants of the New Covenant, which is presented as "the way of the Spirit" or as "the ministry of the Spirit." 

Paul is not arguing against legalistic obedience over spirtual obedience. He argues that the Mosaic Law brought a death sentence to everyone under it, because no could keep it perfectly, which was what was required to be justified by the Law. He also argues that the Mosaic Law was only temporary and "transitory" until the New Covenant would be inaugurated by the cross of Christ (cf. Hebrews 8:6-13). But the New Covenant brings life by the Spirit, and unlike the transitory nature of the Law, the New Covenat is enduring. In contrast to the fading glory of the Old Covenant, the New Covenant offers an eternal glory that supplies every increasing splendor:

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18).

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Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 4:2).

2 Corinthians is the letter that speaks more about the nature of Christian ministry than perhaps any other book. Here Paul is explaining the nature of his teaching. He writes that rather than being deceptive or manipulating the word of God to achieve his ends, he chose instead to set forth "the truth plainly." 

The Pharisees developed a whole set of traditions around the Law. If you ask an orthodox Jew, they will tell you that they did this to help people better keep the Law; however, Jesus condemned the practice because oftentimes these man-made traditions became a substitute for obeying the true Law of God (cf. Mark 7:6-13). Jesus had some very strong judgments:

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions (Mark 7:8).

Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that (Mark 7:13).

Friends, I bring this to your attention because Christianity in our modern times has also developed quite a number of traditions and teachings that are not taught by the Word of God. Some things are as obvious as the holidays, like Christmas and Easter. Others are less obvious, like Sabbath-keeping or tithing, where, while they are found in the Bible, they are not requirements for Christians. Did you know that common practices like closing your eyes in prayer and passing the offering plate are only a few hundred years old? In other words, the early church and centuries of Christians afterwards never practiced these things. They may not be wrong per se, but we should understand that they are not commanded in Scripture and certainly not binding upon Christians.

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The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God... 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... It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of  [or Spirit-given] faith, we also believe and therefore speak (2 Cointhians 4:4, 6, 13).

Friends, I have argued elsewhere and frequently that unregenerate people cannot accept the Gospel. In other words, they will not and cannot believe in Christ of their own free will. This passage provides more proof, supporting the same thesis but from a different angle.

Paul writes that Satan has "blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel." What else can this mean, except that unbelievers cannot believe of their own accord, that is, of their own free will, unless God gives them the ability. Paul would reiterate this by declaring that God "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." In other words, God enabled us to know Christ.

A few verses later, Paul confirms this message by writing, "Since we have that same Spirit-given faith (lit. Spirit of the faith, a genitive of power or influence, i.e. "Spirit who gives...faith, power, wisdom, life, etc"; e.g. Romans 8:2, Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 4:21; 2 Corinthians 4:13; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 1:17; 2 Timothy 1:7, etc.), we also believe..." (1 Corinthians 4:13). In this verse, we know that Paul is speaking of the Holy Spirit rather than the human spirit because in the very next verse He speaks of the "one who raised Lord Jesus" as the same one who "will also raise us," which is the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11). Therefore, Paul says that we believe because the Spirit has given us faith enabling us to believe. Believing is a human activity, but faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8-9). 

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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 4:16-18).

 We would hardly consider Paul's trials as "light and momentary troubles":

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city,in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? (2 Corinthians 11:23-29).

For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).

None of us would consider these experiences "light and momentary troubles." Yet, that is exactly how Paul characterizes his experiences in view of the "eternal glory" that awaits him. So Paul would also write,

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

Friends, this is how we ought to view every burden we experience in our lives, relationships and ministries. They are "light and momentary troubles." they are "not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." This is what I mean when I have spoken to some of you about living with "an eternal perspective." Because of our certain, eternal, and glorious hope, nothing in this life should shake us. Nothing should move us to despair. 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! (2 Corinthians 9:15)

Paul writes about our present weakness in this world - that while our bodies will give in to age, we are being renewed each day and that we will have eternal glory through Christ's work.

(2 Cor 4:7-12, 16-18)

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 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. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 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. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 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.

Paul writes that we have this treasure in jars of clay - we 'the clay' have inside us the Holy Spirit. Gods power resides in all believers, and while we are pressed, persecuted, struck down we will push on with Gods strength. Paul writes that we carry Christs death (we carry the cross - our burden), so that Jesus 'life' giving sacrifice may be revealed through our perseverance.

Finally, Paul writes that while our bodies are wasting away, we are being renewed by Gods spirit.

Being committed to Gods work in addition to our job, and family commitments can be exhausting. Paul reminds us that things seen are temporary (our day to day grind), but what is unseen (Gods plan) is eternal. It’s a daily battle to remember that we are just visitors in this world, and everything we do in the world will fade away after our death. But what we invest for Gods glory will have eternal consequences.