I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. –Romans 8:18
About this time of year I begin to long for spring. I start looking forward to warmer weather, clear skies, green grass, and the return of the hummingbirds. What a blessed thought that is as I sit here typing with the howling wind outside, plunging the temperature into the single digits. During the winter I also miss being able to sit outside on the carport, enjoying some coffee and having my morning prayer time. During some of these freezing, cloudy, and gloomy days I think that is one of my motivations for looking ahead: The knowledge that a brighter day is coming.
Paul the Apostle did some looking ahead as well. As he toiled onward, preaching the gospel and suffering intense persecution, he continued looking forward to a brighter day which he knew was coming. Paul was a man familiar with hard times. He had been beaten, harassed, imprisoned, mocked, threatened, and on one occasion stoned and left for dead. Through it all, however, he kept moving forward, looking toward a bright and blessed time when his troubles would be over. Paul stated that when that time finally arrived, all of the sufferings that he had endured would be overshadowed by the wondrous glory of heaven. So wonderful will that time be, Paul concluded, that he would not just tolerate life, but rather thrive while here and work as hard as he possibly could.
As I look forward to springtime, I could say that being able to experience the beauty of spring helps me to tolerate the discomfort of winter. But that’s actually a negative attitude, isn’t it? A better perspective would be to say that springtime is so glorious, that the knowledge of what’s waiting ahead motivates me to work that much harder in anticipation of it. For the believer, the knowledge that heaven is waiting for us at the end of life can have a similar effect. Rather than sit back and bide our time, we are instead motivated to work all that much harder – not just surviving, but living life to it’s fullest. I desire to not just get through the winter, but rather to be as pro-active and productive as possible as I wait for that glorious springtime.
Yes, the days are cold and dreary, but a brighter day is coming. Indeed, sometimes life can be hard, but take heart: A bright and blessed day is ahead. Resolve to give God our best every day. Don’t settle for surviving the winter, but rather live each day to the fullest in service to Christ. Springtime is just around the corner!
