Comparisons

          It is true that there are many things in this life that can be compared. Other things, however, can't. We sometimes use the phrase, "It is like comparing apples to oranges." That simply means that the two items to be compared are so different that you wouldn't be able to draw any real conclusions if you did compare them. The Apostle Paul was comparing two things in the following verse. Romans 8:18 says, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." The two things being compared in this verse are the sufferings of this life and the glory that is coming later on. One of them far outweighs the other. Paul indicates that our present sufferings are really insignificant when compared to the glory that is going to come later. That may seem hard to believe for some who are really having a bad day. You may have found yourself on such a day, perhaps even today. While we are in the midst of suffering, they seem to be overpowering and squashing us down to the point that we feel as if we will never get up to get a breath. Sufferings are never pleasant. This is why this verse seems to be such a comfort. It speaks of sufferings, yes, but it contrasts them with the glory that is to follow. From all indications, the glory is going to far surpass all of our sufferings. The glory is going to be so great that your sufferings will be forgotten in an instant. We often give gifts to our family members during their birthdays. We usually give something big and then a number of very small things. We save the big gift for last, sometimes even hiding it so the person will not know it is coming. Once, however, it is received, the joy of that particular gift far outweighs the other gifts. New socks are forgotten as a new bicycle appears. In this sense, sufferings are not worthy to be counted in comparison to glory. The Book of Revelation gives us a glimpse of glory. It is a glimpse that offers us just a peak at what is to come. We can observe some of the sights and sounds of heaven. We get a quick picture of the Holy City. As we have seen all of these pictures from the future, we realize that the glory to come is going to be great. It is going to be far greater than we ever imagined. So, what does that do for us in the here and now? It says, "Hang in there. Your sufferings are nothing compared to the rewards that are coming. Be patient and endure the warfare, the pain and the suffering, the illness and the grief. Peter wrote much about this in his first epistle. In fact, you could call his epistle, "Suffering leads to Glory." Praise God today for what He has in store for you.