Wasting Away

(2 Corinthians 4:16) So we do not loose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

When we typically hear this verse quoted, it is usually in reference to the fact that our physical bodies are not as smooth, strong, skinny or hairy as they used to be. A person will look in the mirror and comment to his wife, "my outer self is wasting away." Or that same man will be talking to a group at church, the light from the sun reflects off his balding head and he then quotes the verse to the group. I think this type of application would be foreign to the apostle Paul. Paul was becoming accustomed to getting dragged out of town, stoned, flogged and slapped because he was preaching the gospel to hostile hearers. His body was literally "wasting away." He was suffering painful affliction because of his unharnessed proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I would venture to say that you and I do not know anything about having a body that is physically running out of necessary strength and energy to keep proclaiming the gospel to the nations. (2 Timothy 3:12) "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution," In Paul's mind, if you are to live a godly life for Jesus, you WILL suffer.

It is a good opportunity for us to ponder our Christian walk. If you are reading this in the United States, I doubt you will ever physically suffer for the sake of Jesus. But that doesn't mean that we should not be suffering at all. Society is becoming more and more hostile against the truth claims of Christianity, and if you and I are faithful to life high the name of Jesus; we, as Paul said, will suffer.