Luís Alberto Alves
Living is not easy. Especially when you have dedicated your life to Jesus Christ. You have decided to renounce the whims of this sinful world, full of traps set by Satan and his demons. That is when we look at the dishes offered by the devil, many of them beautiful in appearance and very seductive. To say that it is easy to be content with the Grace of God in the face of struggles; only for servants in tune with the Lord.
How many times, during a hard battle, have we not thought for a few seconds about the flashes of happiness from the time when we were trapped in the clutches of darkness? We look at the balance almost in the red in the checking account, the little fuel in the car, the food becoming scarce in the pantry and the injustices surrounding us on all sides.
At that time we also look inside our hearts and feel the weight of loneliness. This is when Christians imagine that all the sacrifices they make seem to have no effect. This is when everything is the target of criticism and even discussion. We look at the Bible and it is written there that the servants of the Lord will eat the best of this Earth. But when we are under countless struggles, nonconformity attacks us.
Midas
We look around us and see that people who do not serve Jesus Christ enjoy the best of the best, drive around in designer cars, wear designer clothes, wear top-of-the-line shoes, eat at the best restaurants and go on leisure trips as a routine. They do not need to make an effort. Just like King Midas, wherever they touch hands, they turn into gold. Success accompanies them. It seems that suffering is the inseparable friend of Christians. Whether in their love life, their career, their finances, their university life or their ministry. In everything they do, war is their inseparable companion.
Because of this, the heart is always attacked by the fear that something unpleasant will happen. Even if it is someone with great faith. The world of darkness is a master at offering the happiness of this world that is fleeting, always supported by the famous phrase “nothing to do with it”. It is in this context that the word fidelity is cast aside. What matters is to enjoy life, the pleasure of the moment. After all, no one who has died and gone to Heaven has returned to tell what it is like to live in that paradise.
Rotten Supported by the rotten gospel of results, the rule is to be happy here in this world, to take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the devil. It is to fill your nose with drugs or clog your veins with the poison of illicit injectable substances to enter the atmosphere of pleasure at any cost. It is to leave aside the monogamy of marriage and fall into the arms of whoever appears in front of you. In this same journey, it is good to remove the word honesty from your resume and do any kind of trickery to get more money at your workplace. Embrace corruption once and for all.
The important thing is to have money overflowing in your checking account and to eat the best of the best. The rule is to guarantee happiness at any cost. It is in this crossfire that the servant committed to God will live while he is in this world, where the devil and his demons are in charge. Sometimes he will feel lonely because he silently endures humiliation, because he looks at the wicked who are apparently in a good situation and feels bad. Because he expects to hear words of affection and only hears criticism, because he expects praise and receives insults.
Destiny
At times like these, we think about leaving everything behind and wandering the streets aimlessly. Leaving everything behind, including our family, and disappearing.
As if all this would solve the situation and bring peace to our soul and spirit. After all, every human being is made of flesh, and our veins do not run with ice, but with blood heated by our body heat at a temperature of 36.7°C. If you find yourself in one of the situations I described in this text,
keep believing in Jesus Christ, even under bombardment, even with the desire to disappear, to give up, to renounce everything. Look to God. You may suffer here in this world, where we are just passing through, but in Heaven, where you will live forever, happiness will be your inseparable companion.Try to be at peace with God. Don't look at the situation. It's difficult,
but keep your mouth shut. Focus on the Lord. Ignore criticism, insults, contempt, slander and lies. Keep your eyes on the Lord. All this will pass. Try to stay by Jesus Christ's side. You will be firm and secure with the Master. Do not fight against people, but against the evil spirits that have enslaved your souls. Remember: you do not belong here. You belong to Heaven.
Luís Alberto Alves is a pastor.
