The Weight of Glory

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory...-II Corinthians 4:17

I leaf through the pages, and my heart stops. I look into her eyes and feel like I have been punched in the gut. Staring back at me is a lifetime of pain. Pain inflicted by one who should have loved me. I throw the papers away in hopes of getting rid of the hurt aching inside, but there is no easy way to escape the heavy burden I carry. I hold it always hidden under the surface of my heart. Twenty-four hours later I fall apart. I would like to say, "I am strong" and after all these years it doesn't bother me, but I would be lying. The heaviness is still there.

So I sit down to read His Word and come across these words, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory..." It then hits me. The heaviness I carry from the pain I can't seem to escape is light. In the end it carries no weight no matter how hard it is to handle now. Through the heartache God is working on me, preparing me for an "eternal weight". And this weight is glorious. There is nothing heavier than the glory of a God who aims for my good.

As I head into a new year, I remind myself that no matter what I face it will be light and momentary. Yes, there will be pain. I will struggle. I may never totally escape the heartache of my past here on earth, but there is a bigger picture. God is working through my circumstances to give me "the weight of glory", His glory. Through suffering He reveals Himself. Pain has a way of pushing us. And if we allow it, it can push us into the hands of a loving Father. There is no greater glory than to be safe in the arms of the One that loves us completely and perfectly.

So how about you? Are you carrying a weight? Maybe it feels to hard to bear. Maybe you have desperately tried to drop it and run or throw it in the trash to rid yourself of it. It lingers heavy in your heart. There is hope because God sees the big picture and knows that what you carry now will someday be light and of no consequence. He has better things in store for you.

Need more hope? I have spent this year collecting Verses of Hope. You can find all of them here.