Tuesday, February 3, 2009

HENCE THERE ARE MARTYRS

Having a strong belief in God and being a good person does not mean everything is going to be Okay. At least in this life. Sometimes it is very not Okay. Very bad (or at least very annoying) things happen to very good people. It is not a sign of being abandoned by God nor is it a signal for us to abandon God. No matter how rough life might get, it’s better to get through it with God than without Him.

But whatever life may throw at you, no matter how incapacitated you are, how late you are, how disconnected you are there is always some way to please God. Even in our pain and anger there is some way to please God. There is always hope. There is always healing of some type. There is always the possibility salvation “where every tear will be wiped away. On that day we shall see You, our God, as You are. We shall become like You, and praise you forever in heaven.”

Hence even for those facing execution there us a way to please God and there is hope. We can please God by not becoming what we hate and praying for our persecutors. And we know that there is nothing that they can do to destroy us. Earthly death will simply hasten our immortality.

So even when things are not Okay and our hearts are weary, we can still have the flame of joy deep in our hearts and live on knowing that despite the fact that everything is not Okay, yes, they will be. Forever.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you. I needed this reminder.

Anonymous said...

Me too. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

I believe that if you concentrate on the good things that have been given to you, you can get through the bad times in an easier way. Tough to do but it sure helps.

Anonymous said...

Whenever I'm feeling particularly strong, I look in on the Persecution Blog (from Voice of the Martyrs). It's pretty scary to know that Christian persecution has never taken a rest. It's pretty gratifying to be in the States where it is mostly only textual, still.

Anonymous said...

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www.chapletoftearsofmysorrows.com

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

excellent post! Found this on Zenit - thought it was pertinent to your post.
Pope Reflects on Messianic Secret

Anonymous said...

Words to live by and beautifully said. I will be taking this blog to my 12 step support group to share. Thank You!

Anonymous said...

This post is a great reminder oh hope in such hard times. Not only with the economy, but just for life in general. I have a friend who has been going through a lot lately and this is a reminder that there is always hope. Another friend of mine sent me this poem the other day and I think it really goes along with your post:

Difficult Times Don't Last Forever

Sometimes, the problems
You must face
Are more than you wish to cope with,
And tomorrow doesn't seem
To offer any solutions.

You may ask yourself, "Why me?"
But the answer is sometimes unclear.
You may even tend to feel
That life hasn't been just or fair
To burden you with such obstacles.

The roads any of us choose
To follow are never free
Of bumps or curves,
But eventually the turns
Lead to a smoother path ahead.

Believe in yourself and your dreams.
You will soon realize that
The future holds many promises
For you.
Remember...difficult times
Don’t last forever.

-Geri Danks

Anonymous said...

SMK--Lovely poem, though I do think we need to be cautious about lines like "Believe in yourself and your dreams." I would rather believe in God than in myself and in my dreams, which may or may not be what God wants for me. It has become popular to say "believe in yourself." I think what is meant is to have confidence and do the best you can, without always second-guessing yourself. But those who are without God really take that phrase literally. They think that they are God and act as such.