Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day 2 Cor. 4:16
Eternal Lord,
The Bible is clear about the losses of aging,
but it also provides hope in the midst of these losses.
The apostle Paul offers an eternal perspective
that helps us live wisely and graciously as we age.
He shares about the affliction he has experienced,
saying that it has not crushed him (See 2 Cor. 4:8-9).
He states bluntly the reality
that our outer self is wasting away.
And yet, he says, “our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
Paul offers more hope in the midst of loss,
“For this light momentary affliction
is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison…” (2 Cor. 4:17).
We must see look through the lens of an eternal perspective
to see our suffering as fleeting and insubstantial
in comparison with the enduring weight and substance
of eternal glory.
We can picture a timeline
extending from before the dawn of time to beyond its end.
Eternal glory spans the entire length of the timeline,
into eternity,
while our afflictions occupy
only brief, intermittent sectors.
Our suffering molds us and refines us
to reflect the very nature
of our suffering and glorious Christ.
Help us, Lord,
to see all of the losses of this life
through the lens of an eternal perspective:
Help us to look beyond
the light and momentary trials and troubles
of this fallen world
to the eternal welcome, beauty, and joy
of heaven and the new heavens and new earth.
In the hope-full name of Jesus. Amen.
Read 2 Corinthians 4:8-18.
*This prayer based on my article: An Eternal Perspective on the Losses of Aging
Elizabeth Reynolds Turnage is the author of Preparing for Glory: Biblical Answers to 40 Questions on Living and Dying in Hope of Heaven.
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