Trusting
in God is hard especially when times are really hard, when it seems as if not just
one aspect of life goes wrong but many.
Work, family, health problems can come together in a perfect storm and
when nothing is going your way you still have to trust, submit and be content
with God’s will. Such acquiescence is
not easy, but it does, in the midst of great suffering, mould special
strengthened souls. Plutarch (46 – 120
AD) was Greek historian,
biographer
and essayist
knew this when he wrote these two statements.
“Those
who aim at great deeds must also suffer greatly.”
To be really wise is to tread carefully understanding God’s
commands and His love of justice. To
live one’s life not only loving God but fearing Him also. This fear is a sturdy shield from wrong doing
and the love a constant call to do what is right and just. I love the work of C S Lewis and this quote of his
demonstrates his wisdom and insights in understanding what path to walk and how
to walk it.
“Only those who try to resist temptation know how strong it
is. After
all, you find out the strength of the army by fighting against
it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to
walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation
after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like
an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little
about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.
We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we
try to fight it.”
all, you find out the strength of the army by fighting against
it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to
walk against it, not by lying down. A man who gives in to temptation
after five minutes simply does not know what it would have been like
an hour later. That is why bad people, in one sense, know very little
about badness — they have lived a sheltered life by always giving in.
We never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we
try to fight it.”
But if we are to be truly wise we must be sure we are not
sheep following blindly the path others have worn down before us. This Welsh proverb cuts to the chase and
indicates the importance of reason and rational in guiding us.
“Reason is the wise man's guide, example the fool's. “
So I wish you strength, wisdom and reason in working out a
good path for yourself.
