Light momentary afflictions. Uff da! I have had a few lately. First, the Mayo Clinic diagnosis of Primary Orthostatic Tremors and the steep decline in my stability, stamina, and mobility. Uff da! Second, if you have not heard, I rolled my JD Mower down and embankment two weeks ago. This very heavy mower rolled over me three times before it stopped up against an oak tree, trapping me beneath it.

The net result, three busted ribs, nearly all of my other ribs separated or dislocated, broken nose, multiple broken facial bones, concussion, bruises like I have never seen before, 30 stitches, and five days in the hospital. Uff da!

Paul has the nerve to call these things light momentary afflictions. What a jerk! Well, at least he would be a jerk if it wasn’t the Apostle Paul. I am in a bit of a predicament when I struggle with the words of the Apostle Paul. Whereas Jesus is my Lord and Savior, Paul has been my teacher. Of all the characters of the Bible, I always have best related to Paul. So, I can NOT listen to this good teacher. What does he mean when he says, light momentary affliction.

I must begrudgingly admit, Paul’s life provides him with the credentials to make this statement. If anyone understood pain, suffering, it was Paul. His trials make mine look paltry in comparison.

Paul was beaten with rods, thrown in prison for months on end. Thrown out of synagogues and stoned to the brink of death. He was shipwrecked, deserted by his ministry partners, accused, and slandered by other apostles. And most likely executed at the end of his life. The list goes on and on.

Paul was on a first-name basis with trials. In 2 Corinthians, he describes his experiences this way.

…but as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way:
by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors,
sleepless nights, hunger (2 Co 6:4–5).

Paul could genuinely say, “Hello darkness, my old friend.” So when Paul talks about suffering, pay attention. Unlike most people, who offer frustrating and fluffy memes, Paul provides the kind of substantive advice that you can believe, and be assured the advice was forged in the furnace of affliction.

And he calls these sufferings light momentary afflictions. Yep, afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger – he considered all these things light and momentary.

Light and momentary affliction? Seriously Paul? Seriously Lord? Do you not see the kind of things I’m enduring here? How can Paul and the Lord say our sufferings are light and momentary?

In a word, Paul’s context is eternally bigger than ours. So, in a nutshell, when I think of the tough times of this life, it has the context of THIS LIFE. When Paul thinks of the tough times of this life, it is in the context of ETERNAL LIFE! It makes a difference.

Paul had a gift that I have not quite perfected yet. I need to work on it. But, perhaps, you do too. No matter what was happening in the life of Paul, he was able to keep one eye on heaven. Though his body was firmly rooted in earthly and temporal affliction, his soul seemed to walk in heaven’s hallways. So, we hear things like this from him:

1. Our inner nature is being renewed every day.
2. God is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
3. We look to things that are unseen and eternal.
4. Do not lose heart.

Paul guides us to the gentle reminder that we live in the shadow of heaven’s greatness, and it will soon be upon us. Don’t blink. It is just around the corner. It will be here in the morning. And when heaven’s greatness arrives, Paul is sure of one thing. The troubles of this life will seem like, light momentary afflictions. Let’s reread it.

Have a great week.

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