Children of God

 

Love and suffering

 

Suffering is an inevitable and a gracious(1) companion on the path of Love.

Through suffering, God perfects us in HIS Love, and brings us closer(2) to HIM.

The way of Jesus Christ is Love.

Love willingly suffers(3), for the honour of God.

Love obediently(4) suffers, for love always does God's will.

Love joyfully suffers, that Christ, our joy, may live(5) with us.

Where there is love, there is suffering.

Where there is suffering(6), there is Christ.

Where there is Christ, there is Love, Joy and Peace(7).

[1]God bestows HIS favour on those who love HIM and suffer for HIM.

[2]God makes us HIS children.

 

[3]Love willingly and patiently suffers, to unite people with God— to bring unbelievers and sinners to good faith in God— by their exemplary life in Christ.

 

[4]Obedient to God— obedient to HIS commandment of love.

 

[5]Christ, our joy, may live within us to heal us; strengthen us and perfect us.

 

[6]Christ suffered for us and is still suffering with us.

 

[7]In the cauldron of sufferings, God's Peace comes to console us, as it came to console Shadrach; Meshach and Abed-Nego, in the burning fiery furnace.

Children of the living God

We are exhorted  to wear the garment¹ of Christ's love at all times- no two² garments.

1. Behaving in a way that is worthy of Christ; being an example among the people of other faiths by our Love; Faith; Humility and Purity.

2. You cannot please both, world and God. To please God, always– must be the priority of our life.

People of Yahweh

Let the purity of our daily life render praise, honor and reverence to God's holy name, among the unbelieving world– so that Seeing our life of love and reverence, the world may come to acknowledge Jesus Christ as the son of the living God.

Be like a Child

As we live through life, we grow into 'mature worldly beings'- rather than growing up into 'mature children of God'.

Jesus Christ exhorts us to be like a child- in our innocence¹; in our humility; in our forgiveness; in our love towards God and our neighbor.

We should diligently preserve² this Childlikeness - even while we are maturing.
Because once we lose this gentle innocence, then it becomes difficult on part of our maturity to live a life of faith in God; to love and forgive and be innocent as  a little lamb.



1. Innocence= Childlike; Harmless (innocence will suffer in all humility but never offend- never harm.); having credulous faith (just a little evidence is enough, to believe- e.g. Apostle John); be humbly reliant (as a child is reliant on its mother for everything- we as mature children should be reliant on God.)

2. Preserve childlikeness= By staying close to God- through prayer; Holy Mass; Spiritual reading and spending time with little children.

The Beauty of the Cross

Those who seek the world- the world offers comfortable life- a life without the fear of God; a life without shame for sin; a life without repentance for sin.

Those who seek Christ- they receive the Grace to live a 'life of Love' in this world and they receive the Cross¹.
But the beauty of the Cross is- though the Faithful live in the furnace of suffering, nevertheless they  exhibit the Peace² and Happiness- a calmness in their soul.  God grants HIS children the Grace to bear the burden and sufferings in this world- patiently and with persevering Faith in HIM.


The world³ is thrown in amazement  and stupefied by the life of Faithful Christians.








1. The difficulties and sufferings.

2. Just like Daniel and his companions remained unharmed and at Peace in the heart of the fiery furnace- ordered by King Nebuchadnezzar.

3. Nebuchadnezzar- a prototype of the world.

Duty vs Love

Those who live the commandments of God and offer their reverence to God as a mere duty, will hardly ever come close to God. Only those who incline their heart towards a faithful love relationship with God, will come closer to God.

They'll truly grow into 'children of God'- while others, will fall more and more into their errors.







( We are God's family. We are related to God, by our love- not duty.)

Our growth in God

In Christ Jesus, we all grow in proportion to our Faith; Love and Humility in God.

Heavenly-wise-good

Those who are truly good -their life speaks for God.
                                       -their life directs people to God.
                                       -their life brings conversion in the people, in the direction of God. They are 'Heavenly-wise-Good'. Heaven rejoices in such people, whose life glorifies God on earth.
        Those who are good in the eyes of the world are indeed good, but they fall short of being 'truly good' -as their faith in God, does not speak for God. The 'world-wise-good' people do good to the world, but have never known God. They are not convinced about God. Their life doesn't direct people to God. Their life follows only one part of the Lord's commandment- " Love your neighbor", while "loving God" - reverence of God is completely excluded.The 'world-wise-good' people don't feel the need to love God- they only love their own kind. Their life is centered in the world. This is how the 'tempter' manipulates the people of the world. He (the 'tempter' ) gives them the feeling of doing good, but prevents them from becoming 'truly good' by keeping their faith away from God.
         The 'world-wise-good' people are the ones whom our Lord rebuked. They said: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, work many miracles in your name?” [Mt7:22 ]. To them, the Lord replied : " I have never known you ".
       In Truth, they never knew God. All their good works were done in the world, to be exalted in the eyes of the world- not for the 'Greater Glory of God'. Their works were not directed to bring back people to faith-in-God.