How Can We Be Renewed Day by Day, Even though We Are "Wasting Away"?
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The word “renewal” can sometimes trigger a sense of relief in people – or feelings of frustration. Renewals for a subscription, like a magazine or streaming service, are sometimes met with appreciation for the reminder (unless they increased the price), while renewals for gym memberships or your passport might make you feel inconvenienced or convicted (especially the gym membership).
But what might the word renewal trigger in the context of 2 Corinthians 4:16, when it is shared that though our bodies are declining, we are being renewed in spirit each day?
What the apostle Paul is telling us in the Bible is that although the world will break our bodies down, our spirits will only grow stronger as we are renewed in the strength, grace, and encouragement of the Lord.
But is renewing ourselves something only God can bring about in us, or is it something we can take part in with God as we navigate this broken world with Him? The answer is definitely worth taking a look in the Scriptures.
Paul’s Message on Renewal
When it comes to someone who knew the full extent of suffering in a broken world, the apostle Paul is one that definitely can relate. After he converted to Christianity – stemming from a spiritual encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus – Paul set out to spread the gospel and founded several churches in Europe and Asia Minor, all while being constantly abused and ridiculed for his outspoken faith in Jesus.
One such church established by Paul, the church of Corinth, was built in an area that indulged in luxury and sexual pleasure, and probably still fought the temptations long after Paul had moved on in his ministry.
Paul writes his letter to the church knowing they are dealing with common struggles. Even Christians today have experience this, especially temptation to give in to sin in a sin-focused, fallen world. (Although in this situation, the sin might be to give up hope.) The context where we find 2 Corinthians 4:16 has Paul reminding believers in Corinth that though this world will try to make them fall in their Christian walk, the light of Jesus will keep them sure-footed and strong.
He writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” Readers will also see in this section of chapter 4 the recognized verses “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17) and “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
Paul uses this section to remind believers that God can bring light in the darkness – that is Jesus in this darkened world – through us as His vessels. He tells us that the world will do what it can to bring us down, meaning the devil through the world, but as long as we stay in the light of Jesus, as long as we walk in His ways, God will protect and keep us.
2 Corinthians 4:16 in particular encourages believers to not lose heart as the world and their own bodies begin to decline and perish, because what is most important is the spirit inside of us. This is what is being renewed each day when we give our days to God and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Renewing Internally While Fading Away Externally
Some might see this verse and think that it should disappoint us in acknowledging that our bodies will fail, and we will eventually die. But the opposite is true; we should be encouraged to know that while our bodies – our flesh – will fail us eventually, our spirits will flourish each day because of who we believe and trust in.
And what Paul shares in his letter doesn’t just apply to the church of Corinth, but is still living, breathing advice for us today as we face the slings and arrows of a difficult world.
Paul’s advice of internal renewal encourages our hearts because, although we don’t have as much control over our bodies and their longevity as we would like (despite what modern science thinks) we do have control over where we put our trust, our faith, and our daily mindset.
When you allow God to renew your mind each day, to fill your thoughts with hope and peace, to remind you of what Jesus did in love for you, you can’t help but see every situation you are in with a newly uplifted perspective. It’s the mindset we see in people facing a terminal illness but who seem to stay encouraged, or for people who have been beaten down by the world but still get up and praise God.
So, what can you do to facilitate this mindset of your “inward man” being renewed daily, despite what is happening in the world? For one thing, daily prayer that invites the Lord to come into your life is one great step toward inner renewal, as it allows the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts in peaceful and prosperous directions toward God’s blessings and plans for your life.
Another step is reading about renewal and other ways God has strengthen the inner man of those in the Bible. As you read the pages of Scripture, you will see that several others struggled with the dilemma of their bodies being beaten by the world, yet they remain peaceful and focused on God to the point that their situations didn’t affect them.
Most importantly, the opportunity to renew your mind is making sure you are in an environment that encourages your thoughts toward God and His plans. People, places, and things can all interfere with your perspective on life, but if you look at what you let into your minds, what might be preventing the Holy Spirit from talking to you internally, you will be able to release the inner renewal flow each day and let God move in your life.
Don’t Lose Heart
The concept of “renewal” is something we come into contact with periodically in life, whether it is for minor things like renewing an online subscription, to major things like renewing our driver’s license. However, when it comes to renewing ourselves inside, the idea behind renewal is something different in God’s perspective.
As the apostle Paul points out to the church of Corinth, we shouldn’t “lose heart” or feel discouraged by what happens to us in this world. The issues we face, the struggles we have not only with the world but with our strengths and weaknesses, are nothing when in the hands of our heavenly Father.
Renewing internally means allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our steps each day in a challenging world, of finding the peace and joy in every situation when others can’t get out of their worldly mindsets. Renewing our inward man means knowing that this world is not the only place we will be. When God has deemed it is time, we will be taken to our eternal, heavenly home and into the arms of our Savior.
That sounds like a better advantage to renewing our commitment to Christ than to just getting three months free off a membership.
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