PrintGoing On Or Giving Up? (1)
Sometimes I envy the Apostle Paul. His perspective on life seems to be (almost) always so positive and optimistic. Lately I find it too easy to succumb to the pessimism that seems to seep into my mind and mess with my perspective. As an example of Paul's outlook, I submit the following:
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever. (2 Cor 4:16-18 NLT)
I am challenged by Paul's ability to distinguish between what is happening to us all in the physical realm (i.e. that our bodies are dying) yet, at the same time, our spirits (our real selves) are being renewed every day A major part of my problem is that I have become "body obsessed". In other words, I am so conscious of the physical deterioration process that I am in danger of losing the awareness that my inner life is daily being renewed.
I have noted elsewhere that in the first 6 decades of my life I enjoyed excellent physical health. But since then my physical body has experienced a heart attack, been invaded by Parkinson's Disease and has undergone 2 lots of surgery which included the removal of one of my kidneys. Now I am conscious of every twinge and every pain. "What was that pain?What caused that twinge? I haven't had one of those before? Is something else going wrong? Is it just old age or a new problem?"
I guess these are legitimate questions. I need to be aware of my ageing body and do what I can to maintain the best level of physical health that is possible. But I also need to be aware of my spiritual health and do all I can to become healthier and stronger in that department. After all, my real self is what will outlast my physical body. I need to explore this further in my next entry.
