Prepared for Glory

As we go through 2 Corinthians as a church, we’re finding weakness and suffering to be major themes in this letter. Paul identifies his afflictions and frailty as evidence that he is a genuine apostle. Beyond proof of his faithfulness, Paul also maintains that God is at work in these troubles:

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 Cor 4:17–18).

Paul understands the hardships of this life are preparing for the glory of enjoying the life and love of God in the new creation.

In Psalm 119, the psalmist declares that God works through affliction even to our benefit in this life.

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word (Ps 119:67).

It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes (119:71).

Apparently, affliction brought the psalmist back to a place of keeping God’s word and of learning it more deeply, but as this stanza progresses, we learn that this is more than duty: God’s word has become the psalmist’s delight. “I delight in your law” (119:70). In fact, this suffering has totally reoriented this author’s priorities:

The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces (119:72).

The psalmist can look back on that season of suffering and see how God was at work in it to grow his enjoyment of God through his Word.

On the human level, we see a similar principle play out in everyday life. We applaud those who deny themselves and endure hardship in devotion to task. We celebrate the Olympic athlete who put life on hold for a shot at gold. We marvel at the artist who pushed everything to the side to pursue a dream.

Then, when we layer in the biblical account of God’s great work of redemption, it should come as no surprise that God can work through afflictions for our good. Christ himself endured the cross for our redemption. His sufferings have brought us life. And now, as we follow him, our lives continue to be shaped by the cross as we come to share in his sufferings so that we can one day share in his glory.