He gave up too early

There are many tactics Satan uses to stop Christians from reaching heaven, but rarely are any of his tactics more effective than discouragement.  The poor man in the lower half of this picture was most likely focused on his blisters, his aching muscles, and how much work he had put in with absolutely no reward.  He was only inches from a great reward which by comparison would have made his labor seem like a momentary inconvenience!  While he walks away disappointed, however, the man in the top tunnel is pressing on.  He likely has the same blisters and the same sore muscles.  He has been digging about the same distance as Mr. Discouragement, below him.  What makes him different?

2 Corinthians 4:16-18
           Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Paul spoke to the church at Corinth concerning perseverance.  The theme of the letter could easily be "do not give up!"  With great emotion Paul discusses the hardships of ministry, in hope that the Corinthians would follow his example of "not losing heart," 4:1.  The message was doubtless encouraging to the Christians of the day, and it can give the same encouragement to us.  While Paul dealt with all manner of trouble (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-28), he called it "light affliction," and refused to give up.  Few of us, if any, have faced the dangers and challenges that Paul faced.  If Paul can persevere, we most certainly can, too!

If only the man in the bottom tunnel had swung his pick a few more times...

What have we lost by giving up too early?  How many challenges have we allowed to beat us because we focused on the hurt instead of heaven?  

Let us remember that as we face troubles in this lifespan, we are only comparative moments from an eternity with God where there will be no sorrow, no tears, no sickness, and no death!  If we keep swinging the pick, we can one day look Jesus in the eye!  If we keep going, we will possess a reward that will make the hard things in this life seem like trifles rather than trials!  

2 Corinthians 4:8-10
           We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

Keep the faith. :-)
J