we fix our gaze...

2Cor4:16-18. 16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. Some may say, “this might be fine for some but, I have to live in the real world!” According to this the unseen is more real than the seen. Rom 8:24 We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it's not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen? 2Cor 5:7 Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight. All too often we get hung up on this thinking. To live by Faith, not by what we see. Even though we do it all the time. From the air we breathe, to information we are told of things happening in far off places. Many will lose their “peace of mind” based on information they only hear about.
For some, well for most the ability to fear comes almost naturally. Why is that? Nature is the key. That is why we are told to renew our minds. To change how we think about things. To change our nature, to see the Word of God as True! So when fear lurks around, waiting to ambush us at a time we feel most vulnerable. The Word of God that we have surrendered to, that has helped change how we think and see things. Well, then that ambush does not go the way fear had planned. The mind that is renewed sees fear for what it is, the enemies attempt to get our attention off of the Word, and on “it!” 2Cor 4:18 So we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. If you want something to ponder then, “we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen,” here work on this. We are told to fix our gaze on things that CANNOT be seen. This is the world of Faith. Heb 11:1 Faith assures us of things we expect and convinces us of the existence of things we cannot see. Here again we see those words cannot be seen. We must never forget, just because we cannot see something does not mean it’s not there! As we let go of what we think we know, and put forth our Faith in the Kingdom of God. Rom 14:17 For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
“... in the Holy Spirit.” This is clearly part of the unseen. Goodness, Peace, and Joy are all unseen things. We can see the effects of these things, yet we are not able to see these things.
“So we don't look at the troubles we can see now...” this is not like an ostrich burying their heads in the sand. This is a “Big Picture” kind of thing. Instead of, looking at our troubles which will bring worry, fear, and insecurities. So as we continue, “rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen..” We are now told to look to God, NO far more than just look. We are told to fix our gaze. When we are looking around at things then, all of a sudden we see something, we look intently at; fix our gaze on whatever it is. This is key, instead of looking at our troubles, we are to look to God. “ For the things we see now will soon be gone,...” When we are in the middle of our problems, it seems they will last forever, they will Not. Yet,“ but the things we cannot see will last forever.” Talk about a retirement plan. “ 16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.As we see, “... we never give up.” We Trust God, we “..our spirits are being renewed every day.” through Prayer and reading the Word, our spirits are renewed daily, though our bodies are dying. Our spirits are renewed daily, for they will last forever. Our bodies are dying, we never even know when our time comes. That is why we must fix our gaze on God, it helps our spirits as they are renewed. We are strengthened all the more when our focus is not on us but, on Him. As we fix our gaze on God; things we cannot see, we put humility and Faith to work. These things are how our problems are resolved. As we exercise our Faith, what once was discouraging becomes encouraging. To look for things that can’t be seen is built on Faith. I understand the bill collectors call, paying utilities on the Shut-off notice. Not being able to get even the simplest of items. We can spend countless hours in, worry and fear which build up inside of us. They produce such insecurities to the point that, many just want to or do just give up. So again,
“18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” We look directly; we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen; on God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. By doing so we affect who we are now, and who we will be. For us to put forth our Faith on what we cannot see, for us to give the unseen more attention than the troubles we are dealing with now. We will begin to step into a new way of thinking. To God be All the Glory.