For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
- 2 Corinthians 4:16
Paul is explaining a couple of life’s truths for the earnest Christian. He shows us the dichotomy of our two lives.
While our human life gradually gets older, its cells age and we experience degeneration of various body parts, our spiritual inward man is renewed day by day, as if it cannot age.
We have one body dying while the other is living in a perpetual renewal program. Which one do you focus on the most? Do you focus on your ageing or dying body and its pains and degeneration, or are you excited about the daily spiritual renewal of your inward person?
Oddly, when we focus on our ‘outward man’ we also tend to focus on things that pertain to our future in this life. One is attached to the other. We think of the money we might or might not have, where we might live, our children and parents, what the world will be like, and a raft of other emotional-based thoughts. Too much focus on this temporary life can introduce sorrowful emotions.
There is a time for sorrow in our lives but not if it beckons regular attention. We must stay positive like Paul, despite what our surrounds look like.
This is a temporal life we struggle through on our way to our glorious future — two sides to the scale. When we are counselling others, we tell them to 'look on the bright side.’ However, too often we find our own minds pointed towards the wrong side.
One of the reasons God renews our inner man is so we can be ever-enthusiastic about our future, thankful about our past in God, and excited about the present. Which one do you think we should focus on? The inward man takes us to the living God and all the wonders of the eternal life.
It’s difficult when we start thinking on the burdens of this life, and there are plenty, but God says to bring all thoughts into subjection…ALL thoughts…for examination. He wants us excited for Him and our inward man despite how the outward man presents.
Today’s prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for renewables. Thank you that this body ages and get weary. But thank you for the great promises my inward person presents me.
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