The nearer I get to God, the more trials, problems and difficulties I seem to have, so that I get fed up and weary with life. I can’t seem to find a way out of this except by keeping away from God, so that I get a more comfortable and peaceful life, like
Whenever you follow the road to God, and grow in your spiritual life, the devils become jealous of you, and try to make you go far away from his path, which they do, for example, by causing the kind of troubles that are happening to you.
So if you keep away from God, and abandon the spiritual road, you will have fulfilled Satan’s wish, and he will have overcome you in the battle.
Listen to the words of St. Paul: ” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good ” (Rom. 12:21).
So when troubles start, be patient, and try to do even more good things, for then Satan will despair of you, and will see that the troubles he has given you have had the opposite effect, and so he will leave you to look for something else.
Trust that God’s grace will stand beside you, will support you, and give you the victory. This way Satan will despair of you, instead of you despairing of God’s mercies.
God’s patience and lack of intervention to save you, at the beginning of your troubles, has simply been to test your heart and see how committed it is to God!.
And, do not imagine that those who live far away from God live in comfort.
Their consciences within bother them, and they have no peace of mind. And in the afterlife, they will live in constant turmoil, while on earth their sin also causes many troubles for them. If they do seem to have peace and comfort, it is not true peace or comfort.
Trust that any exertion made for the Lord will be rewarded, both on earth and in heaven, since ” each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor ” (1 Cor. 3:8).
The story of the rich man and poor Lazarus, gives us a clear picture of this subject. And the Lord Jesus Christ told us: ” In the world you will have tribulation ” (John 16:33), but He also assured us that even the hairs on our heads have been counted.
He promised us many consolations and comforts, and that He would lead us in His procession of victory.
So make sure that you understand well that your troubles do not come from God, but from Satan who is envious of you. Our father the apostle James said: ” Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; ” (James 1:13)
So, do you want to abandon God, who has never caused you any trouble, and join forces with Satan, who does cause you troubles? Do you want to be like someone who becomes an enemy to his friends, and befriends his enemies?!
Be patient, then, and receive the blessing and the crown for having endured troubles, and have faith that God will give you rest, because He said: ” Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ” (Matt. 11:28). And say to yourself: What are my troubles compared to those endured by the saints and martyrs on the Lord’s behalf?!
