Outer and Inner man

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:16, "Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."

 

I would suggest that as you get older, that verse, that word from Paul gets more and more meaningful.

 

For instance, did you know that if you are over 30 years of age, you are losing about 3,000,000 brain cells every day - and if you are very quiet as you read this - you probably can hear some of them dying right now.

 

Have you ever felt like you only had two brain cells left and one of them wasn't working?

 

I have.

 

I'm around people every day (6 days a week) (at the fitness club) who work on their "outer man", their physically bodies - and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

Some will spend, literally hours, in making sure that there bodies are fit.

 

However, Paul is saying that ultimately, in the eternal scheme of things, what really counts is building up the "inner you" the spiritual, emotional and mental part of you that will dwell for eternity.

 

Here's is what I offer you today - and word of challenge:  Spend at least as much time and effort and intention of your inner being as you do on your outer being.

 

Give at least as much focus, at least as much attention to that part of you that will live for eternity as you give to that part of you that is going to wear out one of these days. 

 

You can say, "I am wasting away on the outside, but on the inside, I am truly coming to life."

 

Let me leave you with one way to do that.  Trainers at the fitness club talk quite a bit about diet, watching what you eat.  A healthy body can normally lead you to a healthy life.

 

It is the same way in the spiritual realm. 

 

I encourage you to be intentional about what you eat - what you feed the real, inner you.

 

Fill you the "inner you" with spiritual things, godly things, holy things. 

 

And God will bless you for it - for eternity.

 

Just a thought for a Wednesday.