Willing to Live with the Consequences?

How do you live righteously in the midst of suffering? All of us have been given this gift these past few years. How have we done? Did we live righteously before God or did we turn to lesser comforts and escapes? Living righteously in the midst of suffering is a gift because it gets to showcase the transforming work of God in our lives. Job lived righteously in the midst of suffering. In Job 31, he describes how he became resolute and defends himself against his attackers by declaring the things he avoided. He talks about the covenants he had made to live righteously. Often we can avoid self-inflicted trouble by looking ahead and making a resolute path of righteousness as guided by God’s Word. These resolutions take such forms as accountability against lust (i.e. porn), making specific efforts to care for those in need, being intentional about keeping short accounts with others, and being a good steward of the things God has entrusted to us. Of course, all of this must be done with the motivation and strength of Christ. Beloved, you can live righteously in the midst of suffering because you have the Holy Spirit living inside you.