“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 Shelter
Paul does not minimize present suffering to arrive at this conclusion. The word reckon suggests a deliberate, considered weighing, not a quick dismissal. He has genuinely accounted for the weight of this present time’s sufferings, and having weighed them honestly, still concludes they are not worthy to be compared to what is coming.
This is not the same as saying present suffering is small or insignificant on its own terms. It is saying that against a different scale entirely, the glory which shall be revealed, even the heaviest present suffering becomes comparatively light, not because the suffering shrinks, but because the glory being compared to it is so vast.
Notice shall be revealed in us, not merely observed from a distance. This coming glory is described as something that will actually happen in you, not merely around you or despite you. Whatever this present suffering has cost you, the glory promised is not a separate compensation elsewhere. It is revealed specifically in the same person who suffered.
Hold this verse as perspective, not denial. Your present suffering is real and has been named honestly across this entire book. And, weighed against a glory yet to be revealed in you specifically, Paul’s reckoning still stands: it is not worthy to be compared.
Take Refuge
- Name your present suffering honestly, without minimizing it, the way Paul’s reckoning requires.
- Set it deliberately against the glory promised, as a scale, not a denial of the pain.
- Trust that this glory will be revealed in you specifically, not merely observed from outside.
Prayer
Lord, my present suffering is real, and I will not deny it. But I trust your reckoning: it is not worthy to be compared with the glory you will reveal in me. Amen.
Carry this today
Not denial. Perspective. The glory ahead outweighs even this.