“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:16
Don’t lose heart, become spiritless, give up, and lose the will to go on. Yes, our physical bodies are aging and decaying. But, if we, individually, believe in Jesus, God will renew our inner self—heart, mind, and spirit—to be like Christ’s. We do not and cannot renew our inner selves.
God’s renewing our inner selves makes us more able to daily know what to do, say, and think. When we stay in tune with God daily, He renews us. He never grows tired or weary, like we mortals do. God continues to renew us, strengthen and embolden us, guide, and teach us. His never gives up on renewing us or calling the unsaved to turn to Him. God’s love, power, and patience are limitless. He is our strength, power, inspiration, teacher, guide, protector, and provider. We hold onto Him by continuing to pray, read and study the Bible, worship Him, and do what He says.
There’s more. The “therefore” at the beginning of this verse leads us to consider what Paul wrote before verse 16. This “therefore” means that because of something or despite something…. we must remember God is renewing us, so we shouldn’t become spiritless, afraid, faint, or give up, unless God says to.
What happened before verse 16 that Paul wants us to remember? Verse seven tells us to remember we are mortal. As God’s servants and children, we will be…
*hard-pressed, but not crushed
*Perplexed but not despairing
*Persecuted but not forsaken
*Struck down but not destroyed
Why? Because God is more powerful than anything that comes against us, and He renews us. He keeps His children from being crushed, despairing, forsaken, and destroyed. Only God can utterly destroy anything and anyone.
Nothing anyone or spiritual being does can ever remove us from God’s hands. Our mortal flesh already is decaying, but God is renewing our inner self. He gave us the new inner self when we believed. Nothing and nobody can take it from us.
Instead, though we are mortal, we gladly give our lives for Jesus’ sake to reveal Him to other people (verse 11). We do this so those people can see the life of Jesus through our words, actions, and attitudes, and believe in Him for themselves.
Therefore, don’t lose heart, faint, or grow weary because of the task, fatigue, numbers of people and their needs, or persecution that may come. Yes, your mortal body is decaying. Yet, God is renewing your inner self daily to be more like Jesus and be in closer communion with Him.
“Those who wait upon the Lord will receive renewed strength and will Mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” —Isaiah 40:31
