In the previous verse (2 Cor 4:16), Paul has already used two opposites to make a point. He contrasted the outward (external) aspect of being a person with the inward (internal) aspect. He also contrasted being destroyed (going away from your original, ideal state) with being renewed (returning back to your original, ideal state). By portraying this contrast, he explained how the inner, invisible aspect of a believer may change in a positive sense through the same suffering that is changing him or her outwardly and externally in a negative sense.Knowing this, we should not despise the suffering we endure in our service for Christ and the gospel. Though we will experience negative and even destructive things outwardly and physically, we will also experience positive and Christlike change in an internal and spiritual way. For this we should be grateful, not sad.

More Contrasts and Opposites

In addition to these thoughts, Paul extends his string of opposites (2 Cor 4:17-18). He contrasts (1) light with heavy, (2) then affliction with glory, then (3) momentary and temporal with eternal, and then (4) visible with invisible. Through this series of contrasts, Paul emphasizes the way that you and I should look at our lives and the things that we experience for Christ. There is a way that we normally and naturally look at life, but this is wrong. Then there is a way that we should be looking at life which is right. Taking the right view will help you to face your challenges victoriously without being defeated by them.

Ounces of Suffering

First, Paul describes our present experiences in life - especially the hard things - as light, affliction, momentary and temporal, and visible. By light, he means that the extraordinary, extreme suffering he had endured thus far was actually a "small thing" rather than a "big deal." This is a stunning claim, because his suffering had included repeated encounters with: beatings, stonings, riots directed at him, imprisonments, heavy labor, shipwrecks, brutal robberies, sleepless nights, exposure, thirst, and hunger (2 Cor 6:4-10; 11:23-27). Would you call this light?These experiences were certainly afflictions, which means that that they were oppressive, distressing and troubling things that pressed on him greatly. But even so, he called them light instead of great. The word light means something that is very low and small on a scale of weight measurement, as in ounces rather than pounds. What you and I naturally consider "pounds" of suffering weighing on us, Paul considered to be nothing more than "ounces."

Tons of Glory

In contrast to this, Paul described something else as having great weight. To him, suffering as a Christian was not a burden. The real burden was glory he would enjoy in the future. What's more, this burden would not be an oppressive burden, it would be an exhilarating one instead. In fact, describing this glory as a heavy weight was not a strong enough manner of expression. To make his point even stronger, he added the word exceeding, which describes something as being to an extraordinary, exaggerated degree, far more than usual. And as though this were still a weak description, he added the words far and more to enlarge this idea even more.

Suffering not a burden. The real burden was glory he would enjoy in the future.

Do you see what he is saying? When you and I suffer as believers, we view our suffering as a big, big deal and the eternal, future outcome of our suffering as a small and elusive dream. Yet in reality, it is the other way around. God calls you to suffer in ounces, but he promises you an eternal reward in tons - not pounds.

Temporary or Eternal?

To expand his point even further, Paul describes his suffering now as being only temporary. At the present, it is hard to see it this way. Whatever you suffer, it seems to last for a very long time, dragging on one day after another. But in the timeline of eternity (which is reality), it is only a temporary trifle. Perhaps you sneezed today one time and you don't even remember it. Perhaps a fly flew by your face and you swatted it away. In the grand scheme of your life, small and fleeting moments like this don't even register in your mind and - from God's perspective, which is the right perspective - your suffering is that way. It is for a moment, which means "for a temporary, very short period of time"; and it is temporary, which describes something that lasts for a very brief time and is a small, small part in a big, big picture.Though your small, small suffering is for a short, short moment in time, the great, great glory which God is working out in your life will come to you in the future and will last for a very, very long time, which is - indeed - forever. Though it seems like your suffering will never end, it will come to an end soon enough. What never ends is the glory which has not yet begun; but when that begins, it will never cease to be. You will enjoy this great, great glory forever.

Deceived by What's Visible

Why do we fail to view our lives and our suffering this way? For the reason that Paul reveals. We see the tiny and temporal things, and this makes them appear to be big and never-ending. At the same time, the truly big and never-ending things appear to be incredibly small and far out on the horizon, more like a mirage that never comes than a range of mountains that is getting closer. But do not be deceived. If you can see it, then it looks big and important, but it isn't big and important. It is was you can't see that is important. Indeed, you could say it this way, "What you see is not what you get!"

What you see is  not what you get.

When you suffer for Christ, learn to look at those things which are invisible and important, turning your eyes away from what is visible and unimportant. The word look in these verses is a Greek word skopeo, which may remind you of a scope of some kind, like a microscope or a telescope. It means to pay attention to something and to look at it carefully. The key to enduring suffering and hardship as a believer is to learn to look carefully at what is invisible and to turn your attention away from what your eyes can see around you.

If you can  see it, then it is temporary.

Look past those things which are visible to your eyes to those things which you can only see with the eye of faith (as revealed in Scripture), believing in Christ, the resurrection, and the promise of a place in God's eternal kingdom. If you can see it, then it is temporary. Name one visible thing which is eternal. The things that matter are invisible. Are you living for those things instead?It is fascinating to know that even Paul himself had to learn this lesson over time. Early in this letter to the church at Corinth, he used the same words for heavy and exceeding to describe the suffering that he endured (2 Cor 1:8). But over time, he had learned a different way. He had learned to use smaller and more temporary words for those things and to use the big and heavy words for his future glory instead. Have you learned this lesson, too?