Today I want to talk to you about perspective. Perspective is the vantage point from which a thing is viewed. Your perspective can have a profound impact on how you see things. Perspective does not change reality; it does not ignore reality, but it does tend to change your attitude; it does tend to change how you feel about that reality.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he shares with us his perspective on troubles. Paul is better qualified than most to speak of troubles. Later in this letter Paul describes some of the troubles he has faced in his life. He writes, “24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.” It would be difficult to argue that Paul doesn’t know what trouble is. Paul’s life was filled with more trouble than most. Physical trouble, mental trouble, emotional trouble, spiritual trouble, you name it Paul endured it. Considering all the trouble he faced, you might expect a man like Paul to be sad, depressed, maybe even suicidal. Yet when Paul looks at all the troubles, he has faced in his life he describes them with the words “17… light and momentary”. Paul isn’t unhinged, he isn’t in denial, he isn’t a masochist he just has a different perspective than most when it comes to how he sees his troubles.

I am going to go out on a limb and assume y’all are experiencing some form of trouble in your life. Maybe you haven’t been beaten with a stick, shipwrecked on an island, or shivered yourself to sleep on the streets, but I would be willing to bet you have trouble in your life; something that is weighing you down, something that is filling you with frustration, something that is causing you pain. Does that something feel “17… light and momentary” to you? If not, perhaps a change of perspective will help.

Let’s start by thinking about something happy. Concentrate on the thing that gives you the most amount of pleasure, be it a giggling grandchild, a well-placed t-shot, a good book and glass of wine, or sun-soaked solitude think about whatever it is that puts a smile on your face and fills your heart with joy. Go for a moment to your happy place. Are you there? Now, as you are thinking these happy thoughts, how do you feel when I tell you, “one day you are going to die”?

Now think about something that causes you pain, makes you cry, fills you with sadness. For just a moment I want you to visit that dark place, don’t worry I won’t ask you to stay there long. For just a moment, think about your troubles, the things that weigh you down, fill you with frustration and cause you pain. Now, as you sit in a pit of despair surrounded by sadness, how do you feel when I tell you, “on day you are going to die”?

Your view of death very much depends on perspective. When you were in your happy place, and I mentioned death, you likely had a negative view of death. Conversely, when you were in the pit of despair, and I mentioned death, you probably viewed death with a sense of relief. But let’s take this idea of perspective even further.

Your previous impressions of death were based on the perception that death is an end, either an end to pleasure or an end to pain. However, Scripture does not describe death as an end, but rather Scripture describes death as a beginning. Scripture uses words like “eternal” “forever”, “everlasting” and “endless” to describe the other side of death. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul writes, “14 we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence.” Paul speaks of an existence beyond death; an existence, at least from the perspective of the believer, that is free from pain and full of pleasure.

Your existence beyond death is free from pain because of Jesus. Because Jesus suffered and died; because He paid for all our sins on the cross and then rose victoriously from the dead the thing that causes us pain has been removed. Paul said, God will raise us with Jesus. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul described it this way. He wrote, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”[1] Because of Jesus, all those things that trouble you will finally and forever be removed from your life. Because of Jesus, death is the beginning of an existence without pain.

Further, your existence beyond death is full of pleasure. Through Paul, God promises believers, such as yourselves, that your existence on the other side of death is spent in the presence of Jesus. Call me a sentimental sap if you will, but standing in the presence of Jesus makes me think of that old song by MecyMe where the artists asks, “Surrounded by Your glory What will my heart feel? Will I dance for you Jesus Or in awe of You be still? Will I stand in your presence Or to my knees will I fall? Will I sing hallelujah? Will I be able to speak at all?” Or better yet, the song King David wrote that says, “you fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”[2] Because of Jesus, for you, death is the beginning of an existence full of pleasure.

Scripture changes our perspective on death. Scripture helps us see death not as an end but as a begging and, for those of us who believe in Jesus as our Savior, it is a beginning of an existence free from pain and full of pleasure. So, what does all this have to do with Paul’s perspective on trouble? How does a proper perspective of death help us view our troubles as “17… light and momentary”? In verse 18 Paul invites us to “18… 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.” Paul invites us to view our troubles from the perspective of a person who looks forward to an eternal existence free from pain and full of pleasure.

But I think it is important to first recognize perspective doesn’t change reality. Notice, Paul does not make light of our troubles, he does not tell us to ignore our troubles, he does not tell us to pretend our troubles don’t exist. Paul readily admits in verse 16 that “outwardly we are wasting away.” Whatever trouble you are dealing with right now is real and I bet it really feels like a crushing weight, I bet it really fills you with frustration, I bet it really causes you pain. No one is denying your life is full of trouble, I’m not, Paul didn’t, and God doesn’t. Moments before He is arrested in Gethsemane Jesus told His followers, “In this world you will have trouble.”[3] Perspective doesn’t change reality and the reality is, after Eden and this side of heaven, life is full of trouble. This is not what God wanted for you, but because we are sinners living in a sinful world this is our reality.

Perspective doesn’t change reality, but it does tend to change your attitude; it does tend to change the way you feel about that reality. Paul doesn’t make light of your troubles; he doesn’t tell you to ignore your troubles or pretend your troubles don’t exist. Paul simply invites you to look at your troubles from the perspective of a person who looks forward to an eternal existence free from pain and full of pleasure. From the perspective of eternity, Paul invites you to see your troubles as light. Imagine a scale. On one side of the scale is a lifetime of troubles. On the other side of the scale is an eternity of glory. Your present troubles are real, but so also is your future glory. And Paul says that future glory outweighs your present troubles. Actually, what Paul literally says in the Greek is “by excess into excess eternal burden of splendor is to us”. We might say it this way, ‘your future glory weighs a bazillion tons’. When you weigh your present troubles against your future glory it is your future glory that tips the scales.

Further, still from the perspective of eternity, Paul invites you to see your troubles as momentary. Now imagine a timeline. On this timeline imagine a life filled with trouble. Mark the beginning of that trouble filled life in the year and on the day you were born, stretch a line across all the decades of your life, and since you don’t know when the end of your life will be why don’t you just measure 100 years from the day you were born and mark that as an end to your trouble filled life. Now, 100 years of trouble seems like an awfully long time. But then look at that timeline from the perspective of eternal glory. Mark the beginning of your particular eternity on the day you die, then start stretching a line 1,2,3,4, hundred years, then stretch it another 1,2,3,4 thousand more, then stretch it another 1,2,3,4 bazillion years more and don’t stop there just keep going without end. 100 years of trouble seems like a long time when you are only focusing on 100 years, but when compared to eternal glory those troubles are but a moment.

Saint Paul knew a thing or two about troubles, but, because of his perspective of death, Paul was able to see his troubles as light and momentary. By God’s grace, you share Paul’s perspective on death. You see death not as an end but as a beginning and for a believer like you it is the beginning of an eternal existence free from pain and full of pleasure. Look at your troubles from that perspective and perhaps eventually you too will see them as light and momentary. Perspective can have a profound impact on how you see things. Therefore, “fix your eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” Amen

[1] 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

[2] Psalm 16:11

[3] John 16:33