SPIRITUAL WARFARE: 2 CORINTHIANS 4:18

What we set our eyes on is what receives our attention, affection, contemplation, & consideration. This shouldn’t come as a surprise though, our eyesight is intricately woven into the way we think & feel about the world. Our eyes are always fixated on our goals & desires. More often than not, those things are carnal, things of this world that bring temporal happiness & satisfaction (Gal 5:19-21). What value or gain comes from focusing on things that exist right before our eyes that bring us transitory enjoyment when the unseen things serve a glorious & eternal purpose?

We reach for the same thing over & over again, well aware that we weren’t satisfied the first time. Yet somehow, we think that the second time will return a different result. We do this over & over again, knowing that the outcome will never change. That’s the definition of insanity.

In the case of affliction, what we see on the surface is misleading & takes our attention away from the core issue that originates from something deeper. The origins of these issues have eternal consequences. We settle for pointless solves, bandaids & make-up, while the issue permeates under the surface. Our response is either adopted from what we see in secular culture or for our ethics, morality, & virtue built on the firm foundation of the Word. Most tend to do what is right in their own eyes (Judg 21:25, Prov 12:15, Rom 8:5, Deut 12:8, Is 5:21), neglecting to remember that afflictions produce a proportionate glory (Mark 10:30).

We are not to look up with such impatience, unbelief, & resentment. We are called to return to the Father to discover the source. In doing so, we find that we are supported in our afflictions as we set our eyes—our affection, faith, hope, & attention—on God who sustains us.

All will pass away, but the Kingdom of the King is eternal.