Dear Christian, 

You may have wondered why it seems as though those who are the esteemed of the world, the richest, the happiest, the most liked and admired have one thing in common: they care nothing for God, His Word or His ways. 

You might have questioned what denying yourself profits you, why you are a Christian and pursuing a life of holiness. You might even have attempted indulging in sin knowing that grace will abound. 

Christian, this is why you must be and remain in the Word of God. The one word any believer should hold on to is ‘abide’. You must abide in God through His Word. 

“But as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides [permanently] in you; [so] then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as [His anointing] has taught you [to do]”

(‭‭1 John‬ ‭2:27‬)

Once you take your eyes of faith off of Jesus, you will begin to see the ‘reality’ of the world and begin to sink. You will wonder why there is so much evil, you will wonder why Christianity is full of rules that don’t seem in alignment with secular humanity. You will feel stupid, old-fashioned and left out. If you remain off much longer, you will eventually deconstruct and wander away from the faith to a world that will receive you back with open arms but will secretly laugh at you as the one who started building but couldn’t complete it because you failed to count the cost

(Luke 14:28-30). 

Most painful is when you return to the world and hopefully realise its vanity and futility and attempt to return to the faith you abandon, it will be the same faith. Nothing would have changed. It would be the same old boring faith you abandoned.

Please save yourself this painful plight. 

When those thoughts strike about the essence of religion and the prosperity of the wicked, never be too far off this Psalm to give you truth’s perspective on those who seem to be prospering without God. You could also swap the numbers and get a similar view in Psalm 37. 

Envious of the worldly? Visit Psalm 73 or 37 and thank God for the salvation of your soul and for those severe afflictions, trials and pain that bring you closer to God. There is an end, and for the believer it is peace (Psalm 37:37). 

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory”

(2 Corinthians 4:17)

“The only way you are living your best life now is if you are going to hell.”