Consciousness: What Have You Awakened To?
Spiritual Awakening: Shifting Consciousness to Eternal Truths
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;”
Awakening to Consciousness
Your consciousness is your awareness. What are you aware of? What have you awakened to? What do you focus on? Whatever you focus on grows and multiplies. What do you give your energy and attention to? These things expand in your life.
Some of life’s transitory aspects should become background noise—acknowledged but not the focus of our time, talent, or treasure. Many things we currently prioritize should be moved to the back burner. We must stop making them the focus of our lives. If we are giving too much energy to negativity, we need to shift our consciousness.
When I am conscious, I am aware of God. I see God in me, through me, and as me. I recognize the good in every person, place, and thing. Because of this awareness, I understand that all things work together for my good. No one is against me; everything is working for me. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31). That is my consciousness. That is what I have awakened to.
Paul’s Message: A Shift in Consciousness
In our text, Paul seeks to shift the consciousness of the Corinthian church. He wants them to awaken to the presence of God and goodness in their lives. He redirects their focus from external struggles to the inner world of eternity.
Paul describes our present afflictions as temporary (2 Corinthians 4:17). He explains that while the outward person may perish, the inward person is renewed daily (2 Corinthians 4:16).
It is time for us to shift our consciousness from external distractions to internal awareness. "Behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). If external circumstances cannot be changed, we can adjust our awareness. Instead of focusing on external events, we must tune into what is happening within. We may not control what happens around us, but we can control our internal state.
Paul urges us to shift from the temporary to the eternal. He calls affliction temporary, but he reminds us that it works for "a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17). As the hymn says: Hold to God’s unchanging hand; build your hopes on things eternal.
Making the Shift
Eternal means it has a beginning but no end. Shift your focus from temporary trials to eternal truths. Love, peace, joy, and life are eternal. Build your focus on these things.
Many people try to change their circumstances, but true transformation comes from changing consciousness. When we shift our consciousness about a circumstance, the circumstance itself changes.
Paul’s goal is to redirect our awareness from the visible to the invisible. He reminds us that the things we see are temporary, but the things we cannot see are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Tap into the invisible. Expect miracles. Believe in the intangible, the impossible. Shift your consciousness.
(2 Corinthians 4:17)
From temporary to eternal
From visible to invisible
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