For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV)

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (NIV)

I remember once reading about a hymn writer in the 1800s who was born blind. She often said she was thankful she had no sight, since it meant that when she finally could see, the first face before her would be Christ’s. Wow. 

The Apostle Paul (who wrote this verse) had a temporary blindness that altered the course of his life. He’d been fighting against the people of God his entire life. But while traveling on the road to Damascus, he heard God’s voice clearly ask him, “Why are you persecuting Me?”(Acts 9). He encountered God’s glory and it literally changed his ability to see. His blindness was only for a few days but God’s glory re-shaped the vision he had for the rest of his life, and it carried him through great hardship and suffering.

If I’m honest, I try to avoid being uncomfortable altogether, and even if it’s just a short-term discomfort, I tend to think it’s the worst. Whether it’s getting the flu, being stuck on an airplane runway for hours, or saying goodbye to my sister after a visit during the holidays, my heart and head seem to believe there is no good coming from this inconvenience or heartache. 

Even though we know that’s not biblical, most of us still want the “good life,” or at least a “good day” today. But in the book “The Weight of Glory”  C.S. Lewis says it’s not that we are too hard to please, but actually the opposite. He says we are far too easily pleased. We are like children who want to keep making mud pies when the Lord is inviting us on a beach vacation. He is inviting us on a far greater adventure than just living for today. 

The glory of God almost never matches our expectations. Paul spoke often about how much greater the things of God are compared to anything we hope for. You and I often long for better circumstances and wish we could see the purpose in our struggles right now. But Paul knew that the day is coming when God’s glory will be unveiled before us, and in that moment, every sorrow we have endured will fade in its light.

You may know the hymn “Blessed Assurance.” It was written by the blind hymn writer I mentioned earlier, Fanny Crosby, and in it she declares that knowing Jesus is a foretaste of divine glory.  She knew what Paul knew: that life with Jesus means seeing His glory for all eternity.

Written by LeeAnn Randall