Do not lose heart (Day 2 of #encourage marathon)

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 ‭ESV‬‬

It’s Day 2 of our 26-day #Encourage Marathon! (You can read yesterday’s post here.)

Someone out there is losing heart. (It might even be you!)

The expression “lose heart” describes a state of failing desire or expectation. When a person no longer desires to put forth the effort and/or does not expect their effort to be profitable they will give up. Their “heart” just isn’t in it anymore. This can happen from fatigue, persistent challenges, or illness.

Paul, in the above passage encourages the Corinthians (and by extension, us) to stay in the fight because there are better things waiting for us. We may be enduring some affliction, but it is preparing us for what he calls “the eternal weight of glory.”

Think of it this way: when one is training for a race or getting the body into shape, the muscle has to be built up by being broken down. We have to pump the weights beyond what we think we can do—that point when everything burns—in order to make that muscle firmer. The regrowth doesn’t occur while we are working out, it occurs while we rest. But you won’t grow muscle if all you ever do is rest. There has to be breakdown in order to have renewal. In the same way, we experience that “light momentary affliction” so that we can have that eternal weight of glory. What we experience here is not to destroy us, but to prepare us!

At this moment, your struggle may not feel light. You might be tired, sick, worn out, overwhelmed, depressed, or grieving. Do not lose heart. Ask God to renew your mind and refresh your spirit today. In this marathon race, you’re going to need some water and maybe a power bar (metaphorically speaking). God supplies both. We need to make sure we grab our sustenance through the bible and through prayer. If we don’t regularly replenish ourselves, we will run out of steam.

Do not lose heart. Press on towards the goal! With God, we can make it.

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I hope you’ll join me on Facebook and Twitter and here at Elihu’s Corner for this marathon. Share this verse on your Twitter feed or Facebook page (#encourage). Take time today to copy down this verse for yourself. Send an email or text to someone you know who would benefit from this encouragement.

[If you click on the link in the above passage, it will take you to BibleGateway.com. From here, you can click a share link which allows you to share directly to Twitter, Facebook or send an email.]

Here is a picture of the verse I copied down yesterday for my own benefit:

[If you click on the link in the above passage, it will take you to BibleGateway.com. From here, you can click a share link which allows you to share directly to Twitter, Facebook or send an email.]

If you missed the original post listing all 26 passages, click here to download the PDF list.