“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are   being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:16-18

There have been many times in my life when I have believed that I was not good enough, not strong enough, or not happy enough. I’ve always been an introverted person and kept to myself, and I wasn’t the kind of person to get up in from of a crowd, even just to stand and smile. Oddly enough, the first part of this verse contradicts what I used to feel on a daily basis. I would feel like I was wasting away on the inside but put on a mask and appear as if everything was okay on the outside. This was largely due to comparing myself to others and leading myself to believe they were better than me, smarter than me, and had life all figured out. Of course, at the this point I was still very young (under 15) so why would I have my life figured out? What I found, was that I was not focusing on myself, but rather I was focusing on others and trying to become them instead of doing things my way. Over the next few years, I did some looking into myself and had come deep conversations with people who were close to me and cared. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before but I had an ample amount lack of confidence and was always focusing on the future.

Philippians 4:13 also says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Confidence is still something I struggle with today, but on a scale of 1-10, if I was a 4 at age 16, I am a solid 8 now. For an improvement that took 9 years, I would say that’s pretty good considering a 10 might be being so confident that it turns into arrogance. Surrounding myself with close friends and family, severely lessening my comparisons to others, focusing on the present, and looking to God. These are the things that have helped me to be a more confident, happier, and more faithful person. This verse says that ‘what is seen is temporary’ and that couldn’t be more true. There are so many things happening in this world, and while it’s important to think about the future and what it holds, we must not forget to live in the moment because this moment is only temporary. Enjoy the little things as they will let you appreciate and improve. There is one quote that sums this up: “Yesterday’s the past, tomorrow’s the future, but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present.” -Bil Keane

Prayer: Caring God, thank You for giving me the strength to see a different side of myself, one that is not focused on what is dwindling, but on what is growing. Thank You for helping me to enjoy the present, while still keeping the future in mind. May I continue to appreciate what I have and help others to do the same. Amen.