The early Church was persecuted at all sides. They were beaten, imprisoned, destitute, harassed, banished, and sometimes killed. Paul considers these trials as light and momentary troubles. Reading this verse in the 21st century, one is tempted to ask, “how can these troubles be considered light?” However, Paul was aware of the weight of the glory that is ahead of him. Considering the eternal glory in the face of the troubles, the troubles were just light and momentary. It is mind blowing to fully understand what the Church is being transformed into. Imagine an eternity of bliss!!! For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. (2 Corinthians 4:17) The 21st century church is without its own light and momentary troubles. In some nations of the world, Christians are persecuted to the point of death. In advanced countries, Christians are afraid to express their views on certain topics for fear of being tagged with names. The workplace has become more and more stifling towards Christians and this has led most believers to “lie low” for fear of losing their jobs. Even family and parenting have not been spared. It is becoming increasingly difficult to navigate through the educational systems without brainwashing. What do we do? Jesus gave us a heads up when he stated that “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16 NKJV). As we aim to attain the full measure of Christ in a fallen world, we should know that it calls for us to apply wisdom. We should apply wisdom gained from the word of God to navigate through our light and momentary troubles. Sometimes it feels like you are all alone, but know that we surrendered by a cloud of witnesses (See Heb. 11-12) who are cheering us on to victory. The weight of eternal glory cannot be compared to our light troubles. If you feel like giving up, reach out to your family in the Lord for comfort and assistance. Know that you are not alone. God is with you, Jesus Christ is interceding for you and the Holy Spirit is your daily comfort. We have an eternal glory that outweighs our momentary troubles. Be encouraged and do not lose hope. This world is not our final destination, Christ is preparing us for an eternity with Him. Hallelujah!
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