God gives us encouragement as we think about how we can live intentionally in Christ when we’re sick and tired.
Even though we are Christ followers and have His hope, we can go through times when we’re just sick and tired and feel like there’s no hope.
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians because there were some problems going on in the church. They were questioning Paul’s authority. They were questioning his apostles, and division was occurring within the church. So, Paul writes this second letter to defend the gospel and himself.
In fact, 2 Corinthians holds some of the most beautiful personal images of the Apostle Paul because he shares with us from his heart, being very authentic about who he is.
The city of Corinth was built in a region of Greece where it served as a crossroad to the world. Tim Keller from New York Redeemer Presbyterian Church refers to it as the New York of the time, where you had great diversity of people in this rich, sophisticated city. And much like people in New York, people didn’t go to live there. They went to be successful there.
Corinth was also a vile, evil city. It was a place of sexual immorality. It was a place that people went to – not necessarily because they wanted to raise a family there – but the place to be in the world at the time.
Paul goes there to plant this church. The church starts to grow. And because of the different backgrounds there, controversy starts to develop in the church. So, he writes 2 Corinthians to this church to share pictures of his own life with them. Let’s look at a few of the verses.
Paul shares glimpses from his own life.
“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8 NKJV).
Paul knew what it meant to be a person who was sick, tired, weary and overwhelmed.
- “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you” (2 Corinthians 2:4 NKJV).
- “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NKJV).
- “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure” (2 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV).
Paul had some sort of physical ailment. We’re not sure what it was, but it was something he wrestled with that kept him humble.
“We’re NOT giving up!”
And then Paul says, “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace” (2 Corinthians 4:16 MSG).
We can’t do a whole lot about the outward man. It’s just part of the reality of being human. But the inward part of us, we have total control over. You and I can decide how we’re going to live on the inside.
Paul was shipwrecked, put in prison and beaten. He had been through so much. He didn’t want to go through all those things, but he did.
You and I are going to go through a lot of junk in life – health challenges, financial struggles or relationship issues. Just because you’re a follower of Jesus Christ doesn’t mean you’re immune from this stuff.
In the next blog, we’ll look at five things Paul shares for those of us who are sick and tired in life.
