“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 to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
~ 2 Corinthians 4:16–18
Paul knew hardship: persecution, sickness, hunger, imprisonment. Yet his words overflow with courage. “We do not lose heart.” Why? Because even as the body weakens, the spirit is being renewed daily by the presence of God.
Three truths stand out:
1) Our bodies are fragile.
Paul acknowledges the reality: “our outer self is wasting away.” Aging, sickness, and weakness are part of living in a fallen world. But this is not the whole story.
2) Our spirit is renewed daily.
While the body may weaken, the inner self grows stronger through prayer, worship, and the Spirit’s presence. Renewal isn’t a one-time event—it’s “day by day.” Each sunrise brings new mercies (Lamentations 3:23), new strength (Isaiah 40:31), and new hope.
3) Our perspective transforms suffering.
Paul calls his trials “light and momentary affliction”—not because they were easy, but because compared to eternity, they are brief and outweighed by glory. Fixing our eyes on what is unseen, or heavenly and eternal, keeps us from despair.
Applied to biblical health, this passage reframes suffering. Thriving doesn’t mean denying pain or pretending our bodies won’t struggle. It means seeing weakness in light of God’s renewing work and His eternal promises.
- When sickness strikes, God renews our spirit.
- When our bodies feel frail, His Spirit strengthens the inner person.
- When affliction presses in, we remember it is temporary and glory is eternal.
This perspective keeps us from losing heart. Instead of despairing at what is wasting away, we rejoice in what is being renewed. And we thrive, not by clinging to the temporary, but by anchoring ourselves in the eternal.
Prayer: Lord, thank You that even when my body feels weak, my spirit can be renewed daily in You. Help me to fix my eyes not on what is temporary, but on the eternal glory that far outweighs my trials. Strengthen me day by day to thrive in Your presence and to live with hope. Amen.
