2 Cor. 4:17-18 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Notice where Paul has fixed his gaze... not simply into eternity, but on an object that stands in eternity. The promise of God, the person of Christ, the kingdom of our God - all these are unseen and stand beyond the "temporary." If our hope is fixated on Christ, the troubles and cares of life will not shake us. When we fix our hope on this life, troubles will overwhelm us. We can have confidence in the circumstances around us because the sovereignty of God is working towards an end. It is not the end in itself. Take confidence today. If our eyes are fixed on the things around us, we must readjust our focus and place our hope for this life and the next in Christ.