Fair Weather Friends

The thought was made that we should not be "fair weather friends" to God. That is, we should not be willing to serve Him as long as things are going good, but then when we don't get things the way we'd like, "charge God foolishly" and abandon Him... continually allowing ourselves to be beaten down with the question: "Why me?"

There IS a danger in that. Especially I suppose is it dangerous when the issue we don't get "our way" is something of great consequence to us-- like the death of a child, or perhaps not even being able to have a child. Or being treated in a way that totally affects our lives adversely in some respect.

I do remember asking for a long, long time in my life, "Lord, why me? I tried so hard to do things right. I didn't expect THIS." Finally, He gave me a very clear answer" "Why not you?"

It was then that I realized that God puts His gospel to the test in different ways, with different saints. Sometimes one has a greater trial to deal with than another but, generally speaking, it all evens out.

• Perhaps one can't have children.
• Another can't find a companion in the church so they are tempted to seek one outside.
• Another has a disabled child.
• Another has a husband who opposes the gospel.
• Another may have an affliction that doesn't get healed.
• Another may be totally misrepresented and misjudged....by the pastor (which is TOUGH when your greatest desire is to be saved in the church of God).
• Another may have an ordeal to deal with at work.

The list goes on.

I have found that the significance of each one of those issues increases exponentially when the problem is your own. When it's someone else's, you can have full confidence that God will give grace. When it's your problem, you are the one that has to be on your knees praying your way through it. You are the one dealing with the hurt, the disappointment, the others feelings that barge against the door of your heart trying to get in. The unbelief. The sense of being "all alone".

Staying saved is NOT a cake walk--"something easy, sure, or certain".

Yes, we have a good life and God does wonderful things for us. But do not delude yourself into thinking that you are not in a war for your soul. And there are not days that you do not have to choose in some way to **"keep the 240".

Most days there is at least some kind of battle that you have to fight for your soul. It may be against an attitude. It may be taking a stand for righteous principle. It may be resisting the spirit of unbelief which is so rampant in the world that on every hand we are bombarded with unbelieving thoughts trying to discount Who God is, what He has done, what He will do, what He expects of us, and that He is one day going to judge us for every deed done in the body.

But, and believe it or not this is my original point, staying saved can slip away from us as easily -- if we aren't on guard-- when we are not having to be on our knees continually to fight off the advances of the devil.

I've been in both places and I find that when the battles are hard, I seek God earnestly for deliverance and help. When the battle lets up, I tend to relax. I have peace. I am not in a mental turmoil. I don't have attitudes being flung at me that I must pray about. I'm content and happy with my life. Then I have to guard against "just living" and getting involved in doing things that I like to do until I've taken on so much that I do not have as much time for earnest prayer.

So, my thought is, not only do we need to NOT be fairweather friends with God, neither do we need to just be friends with Him when things are rough and tough-- when we KNOW WE HAVE TO HAVE HIS HELP to stay sweet, to obey and DO what we must do to keep unity, to stand for truth, and such like.

Have a nice day!!

**Note: This is for those of you who don't know what keep the "240" means. It's a reference to the page in our church of God hymnal. One number takes in a whole song-- a song about VICTORY.