The spiritual man, who we truly are, is renewed by the Spirit of Christ. Christ lives in us, and therefore we can face these challenges. Even though the outer man, our physical bodies, is dying daily, we rejoice because as the new man, we are alive in Christ. While we bear in our bodies the dying of the Lord Jesus, the life of Jesus is made manifest in our bodies. This is how we bear witness to Christ in this world. We testify that we are not living for this world or the things it sets before our eyes, because our lives are brief.

Brevity and eternity—these two words seem contradictory, and yet they are closely connected when it comes to living daily as a believer before the face of God. Living the Christian life, we face many challenges and temptations. Often, things do not go the way we expected them to go or the way we would have planned them. At times, our suffering is so severe that we wonder where God is. We can’t see Him, and we doubt His promises. There are disappointments and trials that bring us low, but these two words, brevity and eternity, give us hope.

Several passages come to mind that give us a window into the mind of Paul as he addresses brevity and eternity. He himself was affected by severe trials and afflictions. Yet, by God’s grace, he grew through them, and he gives us advice to follow when we face similar situations. Twice in his second letter to the Corinthians, he challenges us not to lose heart or faint (2 Cor. 4:1, 16). In the first instance, he reflects on his calling. Christian, we also must remember our calling: to follow Christ. Wherever we go, we are leaving an impression behind us with whomever we meet. When we face challenges and suffering, the world will see whether we really believe what we confess, namely, that God is in complete control. This is the treasure we have in earthen vessels; it puts on display the power of God that resides in us.

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