2 Corinthians 4:16-18

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

In South America there is a tree called the cow-tree. It grows on the barren flank of a rock that its roots are scarcely able to penetrate. To the eye it appears dead and dried, but when the trunk is pierced there flows from it a sweet and nourishing milk. This is not unlike the Christian, who outwardly may appear to be withering and dying but within possesses a living sap that is welling up to eternal life.

The key to the victorious Christian life is all in one's perspective. Not focusing on what is seen but focusing on the eternal.

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William Wallace is one who didn't focus on what was seen but unseen. (maybe not the eternal). He dreamt of the future of having a free Scotland. When he stood before the mentally defeated army who were standing before the English Army. He said to them, "What will you do without freedom? Will you fight?" some of the others called out, "against that! No we will run!" William rouses up the army by saying, "Aye, fight and you may die...... Run and you will live,........at least a while...... Then when you're dying in your beds many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies you can take our lives, but you'll never take our freedom!!!!!!" yeahhhhhhhh!!!! etc, etc....

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Their Army was severely out numbered yet Wallace' army defeated the English that day. Although Wallace wasn't pursuing a Spiritual call, we can still see the power in his life and in his army on focusing not on what was in front of them, but focusing was beyond that - freedom.

God has called us to look towards what is eternal and not our momentary troubles.