The Old Barn

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJV)

I received an email from a friend the other day, and it contained a video of pictures of old barns. Each picture showed a heavily weathered, and worn out barn. And each barn picture had words upon them making up a story. The story was about a man who stopped by at a farmhouse to inquire with an owner about purchasing their old broken down barn out in the field. He told the owners how their old dilapidated barn was uniquely beautiful, and he then explained how he wanted to disassemble it and use the pieces of the barn to line the inside of his new home he was building. He explained how time and the harsh elements of the weather had created a unique look—one not duplicated by paint.

As I thought about this video, it made me think about how we can sometimes place a lesser value upon our own lives as we become old and warn out. We can find ourselves focusing on what our bodies can no longer do, rather than on what we can still do. And we can often be tempted to dwell on our past decisions and mistakes we have made—feeling as though it is too late, and that we cannot be used by God for a greater good. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

The way I see it, the very storms and trials we have experienced and endured—the ones seemingly having taken their toll upon our physical bodies and emotions—are the same ones God desires to use for good (Rom. 8:28). And even though these things may have brought about a new crop of grey hair as we are finding our outward body is slowly, but surely perishing, we are told our inward man is being renewed and beautified by our Lord (2 Cor 4:16-18). It’s an amazing thing to meditate upon for sure—what the world sees as broken and warn out, God sees as beautiful and just beginning.

I guess we have a little in common with those old barns after all. One day we will be taken to meet our Lord and we will be there lining His home in a beautiful way in which no paint could ever do. In the meantime I want to be used by my Lord. Even so Lord, come quickly…

I want to encourage you to meditate upon these things today. Let’s let God use all the garbage of the past for good. Let’s choose to let go of the past and begin to start allowing our Lord to use us in remarkable ways.

STUDY QUESTION: According to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 what things are temporal? What things are eternal? What should we be looking at?

PERSONAL INVENTORY: Are you willing to fix your mind upon eternal things continuously?

APPLICATION: Let’s not choose to look at our worth based on what we have not done, but rather look at it through the cross. God loves you enough to die for you…that makes you very special to Him…Let’s allow God to use us today in whatever capacity He chooses.