Have you ever felt like giving up?  Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel and walk away?  Ever been so discouraged you can't imagine going on?  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to jump off a cliff and end it all?  Millions of people in our world this morning are standing on the edge of that cliff and looking down.  Maybe you're one.  If so, I have a word of encouragement, a word of life from a loving God who gives life, a word I hope will help you walk away and start all over again.

          "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  So 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." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

          An aged St. Paul wrote these words.  He was tired and weary of struggle, and he was speaking to people who were tired and weary.  The Jewish church had tried to destroy Christians and now Roman persecutions had started.  Many believers had been imprisoned and some had been executed.  Worst of all, some had abandoned the faith and others were tempted to follow.  And so it's Paul, the old prophet in poor health, who encourages them, "Don't lose heart!"

          You might expect that from an old warrior.  Paul had learned how to get through the bad times.  Lots of people have.  But it's different when it's YOU that's in hot water, when YOU are the one struggling.  It's harder when it's YOU being treated unfairly.  Then it's easier to want to give up.  So if you see yourself in this picture of trouble, I have a special message -"Don't lose heart!"

          Paul here tells us three things:  (1)  Outwardly we're dying - inwardly we're renewed.  (2)  Our troubles are preparing us for glory.  (3)  Seek the unseen, the eternal things of God.

          (1)  "Outwardly we're dying - inwardly we're renewed."  Getting old is no fun.  We joke about it, but when it happens, it can be a real pain.  A retired minister once told me how nice the first few years of his retirement were, but then came his wife's illnesses.  Nine surgeries in five years!  She could barely walk and he couldn't leave her for more than a few hours.  Finally she died.  Outwardly the man's world was dying, but inwardly he also said, his faith was growing stronger.

          "Outwardly we're dying," says Apostle Paul, "yet inwardly we're being renewed every day." Outwardly we're drying up, but inwardly God is refreshing us.  Renewal happens through connection with God - humble prayer and regular worship.  Renewal happens when we do a kind deed to someone who doesn't expect it.  It happens when we encourage others in their tough times.  No matter how old and weary you feel, God makes you younger!  So don't lose heart!

          (2)  "Our troubles are preparing us for glory."  Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, was martyred in 155 AD.  The townspeople were at the arena watching Christians being tossed to the lions -- a sort of precursor to Sunday NFL!  Evidently things got dull, so the crowd called for the head of old Polycarp.  The soldiers came to his house, and took him to the man in charge of the games.  Now he didn't want to see this dear old man die, so he said, "This doesn't have to happen!  If you will curse your God, I will let you go and you'll live."  But Polycarp said, "How can I turn my back on the God who has been with me these 85 years?"  "But do you realize how hot and painful it is to burn at the stake?"  Polycarp said, "And how long will I suffer, a half hour?  What is that to an eternity of suffering because I turned my back on God?"

          Faithful old Polycarp was looking past the moment.  He knew his troubles were momentary, that they don't last forever, but eternity does.  Friends, all our problems will pass.  They're preparing us for God's eternal glory, IF WE DON'T LOSE HEART!

          People today seem alarmed, but I am wondering it's a false alarm.  Our world is not falling apart, not unless we think our world needs to be perfect.  We have fewer wars now than in a century, just one that's more scary than usual.  Our national economy isn't sinking - people have more money and goods now than ever.  If we're in danger of losing heart, it's because of what we think is true, not what really is true.  We must beware that we don't fall into an imaginary pit of our own despair.  The world is not a glass half empty, but half full.  God is still in control of the universe.  He is always with the faithful.  Trust Him - and don't lose heart!

          (3)  "Seek the unseen, the eternal things of God."  You and I will never be able to fix everything that's wrong in this world.  Sin will be with us until the judgment.  We can fix a few things in our own lives, but crime and corruption will still be with us.  Disease and sin and stupidity will always be with us.  We may fix some things, but we can't fix everything.  Only God can.

          But then, not everything is important.  The Bible says this world is transient - it won't last.  It's a lot of hot air!  Last year Carol and I took a hot air balloon and we rose high into the skies supported by hot air - nothing more.  When the ride was over, they folded the balloon up and went home.  Kind of like that church convention last week - people made a lot of hot air and then went home.  Most of what's on the evening news just doesn't matter.  Our struggles will not last.  But the things of God, the precious things -- faith, hope, joy, kindness, love, forgiveness -- those are the REAL treasures of this life, and they will last.  God's grace and mercy will last.  Praise God they do!

          Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last full major league games.  But the great Babe Ruth had had a terrible game.  He hit poorly and threw badly, and his errors cost them five runs.  As the Babe walked off the field after the last out, fans started to yell and boo.  Just then a boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field.  He threw his arms around the legs of his hero.  Ruth picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down, patting his head as he so often did.  Suddenly there was no more booing.  The park became quiet, for it saw two heroes:  Ruth, who in spite of a dismal day still cared about a little boy; and a small lad, who cared about the feelings of a tired out human being.  The two of them hugging melted the hearts of that crowd that day.

          Our Lord Jesus said, "Do not store up treasures on earth where moth and rust corrupt and where thieves steal.  But store up treasures in heaven, where no moth or rust or thief can take away.  For where you treasure is, there you heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)   It's the unseen, the eternal things of God we must seek.  With Jesus first, others second and yourself last, it is much harder to become discouraged and lose heart.

          Our Lord Jesus is speaking to us this morning.  He's always speaking in His Word, but we aren't always listening.  That happened to Jesus a lot.  He spoke to His church and His church didn't listen.  He spoke to His own people, but they didn't listen.  He treated His disciples as if they were family, but they didn't always listen either.  He proclaimed God's love, yet His family thought He was a lunatic.  He offered eternity to the world, and it nailed Him to a cross.

          If ever there was someone to lose heart, it should have been Jesus.  But He didn't!  He went the whole distance, never giving up, never becoming hateful or bitter, never being a defeatist.  He never lost heart.  And He promises that if we trust in Him, we won't either.  But we need to stand firm.  There's an old poem about boxing called, "Fight One More Round."  One verse goes like this:

"When you're tired and weary, fight one more round.
When you can't hold up your arms, fight one more round.
When your nose is bleeding and your head is sagging, fight one more round.
When you just want to lay down and die, fight one more round."

          Jesus must have felt like that.  He could have given up.  Or He could have brought in the angels and mopped the place up.  But He didn't.  He didn't lose heart, even when all was against Him.  That's why He's our Savior, because He went the distance and didn't lose heart.  For the hope that was before Him, He pressed on and died.  And when He rose again, His suffering it was worth it all!

          It's wonderful when you realize it's not as bad out there as you think.  It's a glorious feeling when that white paper under your windshield wiper blade turns out to be an advertising circular.  It's wonderful finding out that the mess you're in is fully covered by insurance.  It's great to find what you lost before you went out and bought a new one.  And it's just plain exhilarating, after you've been so dumb as to lock your keys in the car, to realize you were also so dumb that you forgot to close a car window.

          Don't lose heart, my friends!  Things may not be perfect, but God is still in control.  Life may not be a bed of roses, but in Christ we're all forgiven.  You may feel old and in poor health, but heaven is nearer than it's ever been.  Your heart may be weary, but God still holds you in the palm of His hand.  The Church may be filled with sinners, but that's why it's there.  Don't lose heart!  You may feel like tossing in the towel, but your Lord never will.  And so, may the God of peace fill you with all hope and peace and joy as you trust in Him for all that's lasting, amen!

Copyright © 2006 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.