2 Corinthians 4
Why does God leave us with our weaknesses? Spiritual, mental, physical, social, financial, weaknesses of every kind plague us. Why do we get old, grow tired, fall into temptation, suffer arthritis, depression, discouragement, persecution, crushing difficulties?---still, though sanctified and made holy with Christ? Why, even though we are God's children, must we suffer in this world? Why so many "thorns in the flesh"? Some falsely teach that we are supposed to be delivered from all the sufferings of life by Jesus, who "bore all our sorrows", taking them away from us and making us prosperous and healthy forever. This just doesn't come from scripture, nor does it look anything like the reality we live in, nor was it the reality of the first century Christians.
V.7 answers, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." Sufferings, like those of Paul in his ministry, and his awful "thorn in the flesh" [2Cor 12] are for a good purpose. They are from God, or at least come by His good will, just as they did for Job, for our blessing. Paul writes in v.15, "All things are for our sakes, that grace, having spread to the many, may cause Thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God."
There is no curse involved, but God's goodwill and blessing upon us.
So, Paul continues, "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." [16-17]
Glory is the goal. That "eternal weight of glory" that will be with us in heaven, and the temporal thanksgiving that "abounds to the glory of God" is at issue. Praise God who is not powerless to help us, but even in our hardships is WITH us, and will lead us on to glory, not around but through the hardships and woes of this life.
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