When God Calls Our Trouble Light and Momentary

I have Bible verses I don’t like. That’s not to say I don’t believe them. The entirety of God’s Word is active, alive, inspired, and for our good. I know that. But some of the things God says are hard pills to swallow. 

One of the verses in Scripture that trips me up is II Corinthians 4:17. It states, “For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (CSB). I’ve never liked the fact that God tells us that our struggles are “momentary and light.” I often think, God, if You only knew what I’ve gone through, You wouldn’t call it light. 

Have you ever felt that way? 

I remember when my sister had double kidney failure and almost died. I was in college and could barely function. How could I focus on classes when my sister was fighting for her life in a hospital bed? Around that same time, some of my closest friendships fell apart. I felt alone, helpless, and unloved. 

I remember listening to a sermon about II Corinthians 4:17, and I almost wanted to scream at the speaker. How dare he say that what I was going through was momentary? At that moment, I felt like I was being told that the pains in my life didn’t mean anything. 

We all struggle. Maybe it’s with our mental health, failing bodies, losing loved ones, or being wounded by people in our inner circles. As I’ve gotten older and experienced more hardships, I’ve realized that this verse isn’t about minimizing our sufferings at all. God isn’t telling me that my struggles don’t matter. He’s giving me a promise that one day my pain will end. In fact, He’s telling us that even the worst imaginable suffering on earth will be nothing compared to the “eternal weight of glory.” 

God’s Word gives us proper perspective. When we experience unimaginable grief, our Abba Father lifts our chin so that we can look up, not out. He whispers in our ear, Persevere, my child. I’m here. Something better is coming. 

For our momentary affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. II CORINTHIANS 4:17 CSB 

Where are you finding God’s strength today? 

This is an excerpt from 100 Days of Strength in Any Struggle from (in)courage – a devotional now available on DaySpring.com. Shop all books, journals, and devotions from DaySpring here.