FROM THE INSIDE OUT

READING: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Verse 16: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”

For many people there is a great deal of stress these days about aging. Immense amounts of funds are being spent in attempts to retard or reverse the process of getting older. The Bible provides encouragement for anyone who is overly concerned about the effects of accumulating years. 2 Corinthians 4:16 as quoted above, provides wise counsel. In that verse we are advised against being too greatly involved with the external and to concentrate on the internal. This is because what is seen is temporary, but what is not seen is eternal. This is a lesson that definitely applies to aging bodies. Many people direct their focus primarily on what is seen outwardly as they grow older, however these efforts will eventually fail them. However, those who give that level of quality attention to the unseen things of the Spirit can expect double benefit. They will avoid much anxiety in their lives on the earth, and then be blessed with an eternal heavenly reward. That’s a thought - about God’s Word.

RESPONSE

1. What title would you choose for the thought you just read?

2. What do you think about your balance between the inward and the outward?