We find many promises in the Bible, many are automatically to our liking, others can leave us behind, because we realize that suffering is something that often affects Christians.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians reveals to us the secret of his unwavering faith: “I know what it is to be in need and I know what it is to have abundance. I’ve learned the secret of living happily ever after in all situations. , whether they are well fed, hungry, having much or needed. Paul’s secret was faith in God’s sovereignty, goodness, and perfect will, though he was trapped and suffering, Paul knew divine contentment and changed his life. the secret of joy in the midst of storms.
- We must be prepared and prepare our homes for suffering.
- When the word of God tells us that His people will suffer.
- We cannot ignore a clear warning that we should prepare for the most difficult days (Acts 14.
- 22.
- John 15.
- 20.
- 1 Peter 4.
- 12).
- 2 Timothy 3.
- 12).
Probably the closer we are to God and the greater the difference we make in this world, the greater our persecution and suffering, but storms will only help us see Christ better.
I think it is very important to be prepared for these ‘storms’, to prepare our hearts right now is not to experience suffering beforehand, but to teach us what many of the authors I read call “theology of suffering”, a theology that helps us better. know who God is, his sovereignty, and the battles we will wage in this world.
How can we prepare our hearts and the hearts of our families for what life will bring us?
There is a certainty that we must constantly remember: our days are in the hands of the Lord, as Psalm 31. 14-15 tells us, “Lord, but I trust in you and say, You are my God. Hands?? Nothing will escape you because everything has already been planned by him, what will come will be the best thing for us!Although a moment is difficult, the Lord’s mercy will not stop, because we know that they are renewed every day. .
At home, we must be intentional in Bible study and it is essential to have a time of day to study together. The Word of the Lord speaks of suffering, shows us that it exists and that we will not be free because we are Christians, quite the opposite.
It also reveals how we should act before him. James 1. 2 is one of the many verses that illuminate us on this subject: “My brethren, consider yourselves a source of great joy for you to go through various trials”. And, exactly in the following verses, we see why we rejoice in a difficulty: the test of our faith brings us perseverance and certainty that we are being perfected by Christ.
As a family, we must constantly remember God’s sovereignty, because it makes a difference in the way we deal with suffering. Do we have full confidence that God knows what He is doing?Do we really believe that all things contribute to our good (transformation and growth) and glory?
Decorating the Word of God as a family is fine. Choose some passages with God’s promises, in the hope we can have in Him, and with how God can use suffering to work within us.
The commandment I want to live in my home is that of Deuteronomy 6. 5-9: “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. And these words which I command you today will be in your heart; and you will teach them to your children and talk about them sitting at home and walking along the way, when you lie down and when you get up. You will also tie them as a sign in your hand and as a band on your forehead; and write them on the doorstep of your house and on your doors. ?
What a demanding commandment!
Let us remember that God makes us aware of suffering, but It also shows us who He is, what his character is like. Knowing that he is holy, just and good in everything he does is crucial to our Christian life.
Finally, but not only, we must start praying more (and I always talk to myself first when I write). Growing up in intimacy with Christ can only be done through a life of prayer, talking to him is giving him his life at all times. Prayer must play in us as a vital necessity, because that is what it is.
May our families spend more and more time with God and that this time it is known who He is and how His plan, perfect from the beginning, will not fail, no matter when we live.