I have a friend whose answer to every difficult situation is “It’s only temporary.” That’s great advice as the economy continues to crumble, unemployment increases, homes are foreclosed, and pensions devalue. It’s only temporary.
Nothing lasts forever: finishing school, looking for work, working the grave-yard shift, potty training, junior high band concerts, raising teenagers, IRS audits, stock market meltdowns, medical crises, etc. It’s only temporary.
For those who trust in God, life itself is only temporary. Eugene Peterson paraphrases 1 Peter 5 this way:
You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does (1 Peter 5:9b-11 MSG).
Second Corinthians 4:16-18 in The Message continues this theme.
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. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.
It’s only temporary! Even junior high band concerts.
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