It is possible to go through horrific things as a believer, losing everything, wealth, family, health and everything in between and remain faithful to Christ. We know this because of Job!!!! He went through everything anyone could go through and never lost his love for God.
Remember to first rebuke and then ignore anyone who would judge you because of anything you are experiencing that is out of your control. All things that happen to us have purpose, God told us that.
Romans 8:28 "27 And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose."
The meanest and most deceptive people are those who think they know why God is doing what He is doing in the lives of others. They accuse others of lack of faith, bad judgment and our level of spirituality rather than coming along side to be lovingly supportive.
Those who think they know all about another person's life are often busybodies injecting their two cents into things where they have no business.
Because of their arrogance and self righteousness, they judge things they have no business judging and they act upon those false judgments out the pride that dwells in their own hearts.
James 4:11-12 "Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?"
We are to judge righteously when it comes to obvious sin, but when it comes to personal decisions that are not sin, then we need to tread lightly, knowing that it is possible and likely that we do not know all the details of another person's business, nor do we know what God is doing in someone's life.
John 7:24 "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
When we love someone we seek to know truth to be a blessing to others. It is actually possible to think we know a matter about another person's life and be completely wrong.
Job's friends were good friends who mourned with him, but were completely wrong about their judgments as to why Job was experiencing his misery. They failed to understand that the devil had challenged God to test Job, believing that Job would not remain faithful to God if He removed all the blessings from Job. God took on the challenge and proved to the devil and all of mankind for eternity, that when we have true faith in God, difficulties and misery do not turn us away from God but rather draw us closer to Him.
The test does not make us who we are it reveals the real us. Life is not about doing all the right things to have the perfect superficial life. Life is about trusting Christ, learning lessons and coming out the other side more faithful to Christ than ever.
Those that think the absence of troubles is a demonstration of God's approval of us do not understand God's ways or the love of God. God builds our faith through trials, He disciplines us because of His love for us and He blesses not only with good things but also with difficulties to make us stronger.
We don't learn very much or build our spiritual muscles when things are easy. It is sad that so many Christians are wasting much time on building physical muscles to appear strong in their bodies but avoid the real lessons of life that come through devotion to Christ. The more we trust Christ the more difficult life is going to become. Then is when the real testing begins.
As God is busy cleansing us daily He is also blessing us with wisdom through that cleansing. Who are we to judge another brother or sister as they walk through their trials? Our job is to love, support and uplift in prayer those who are learning their lessons as legitimate sons and daughters.
Romans 8:13-15 "…13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”…"
Hebrews 12:8 "…7 Endure suffering as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8 If you do not experience discipline like everyone else, then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9 Furthermore, we have all had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Should we not much more submit to the Father of our spirits and live?"
1 Corinthians 11:32 "But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."
1 Peter 5:9 "Resist him (the devil), standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering."
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