Young People's Group

The Challenge to Not Lose Heart

by Mitchell Tan
February 19, 2016

THE PROBLEM OF LOSING HEART

The heart can be unsteady. One moment, it can feel good. The next moment, it can feel down and out. This is especially so when the challenges of school and work take their toll on us. Paul wrote about how the heart can be discouraged in his letter to the Corinthian Church.

“We do not lose heart.”
2 Corinthians 4:1, 16

The word “lose heart” in the Greek has the idea of “becoming weary and faint”. This sense of being discouraged can happen to the best of us. This idea of losing heart is mentioned twice in this chapter so as to highlight this problem. We can become weary and disheartened in life and in ministry and the challenge is for us to learn how to fight this as it comes along the way.

THE CHALLENGE TO FIGHT AGAINST LOSING HEART

1. DEEP APPRECIATION OF THE MERCIES OF GOD

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.”
2 Corinthians 4:1

“Therefore we do not lose heart.”
2 Corinthians 4:16

Paul was challenging the brethren at Corinth to not lose heart because of the mercies of God that they had received in their life and ministry. God had been most merciful to the apostle Paul. In 1 Timothy 1:16, Paul wrote of how he had received mercy that he was saved and became a pattern for those who were going to believe in the Lord for everlasting life. It was also because of the Lord’s mercies that he had this glorious ministry of righteousness in reaching out to people. Young people, the Lord God has been most merciful to us. If it were not for the mercies of God, we would not be saved. We would not even be alive. Let’s learn to appreciate and rely on the mercies of God.

2. RENEWING DAILY OUR INNER MAN STRENGTH

“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16

Despite the suffering Paul and company had to go through, they were undaunted. Even though their physical bodies were affected, their mind and soul were renewed in the Lord on a daily basis. They were able to find renewal of spiritual strength and vitality to serve Him. They found deep encouragement in the Lord and His word. We too can have this renewing of our mind and spirit day by day as we turn to Him in prayer and in feeding on His word

3. SEEING BEYOND THE TEMPORAL PHYSICAL TO THE ETERNAL INVISIBLE

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”
2 Corinthians 4:17

Another way to fight against discouragement is to not focus on the things of this world but on the things that are eternal. We should see the difficulties that we are going through as only light and momentary afflictions. They will not last forever. Our focus should be on going to heaven one day. Whatever challenges we may be going through for the Lord is working towards a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory in Him. Young people, let’s learn to see beyond ourselves to focusing on the Lord and His eternal rewards.

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