Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
Romans 8:35 (NIV)
How much would it take for you to deviate from God’s ways?
I’m not asking what would make you renounce your relationship with Jesus. But what would it take to make you bend your morals? Would some sort of hardship or temptation cause you to stop living a life of integrity?
I believe the Apostle Paul may have been contemplating this as he wrote today’s verse. What could cause us to pull away from Christ’s love? Would trouble, hardship or persecution make us want to look outside the boundaries of God’s principles for answers?
If you read the story of Job, you’ll see he went through a series of terrible circumstances. His kids died, his business was ruined, he was in pain constantly, and in the middle of it all his wife said, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9, NIV). But Job wouldn’t do it.
Today, because of Jesus, we know God doesn’t bring or allow suffering. And nothing—not our choices or any other force on this planet can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38–39). But life in this fallen world still brings trouble. The good news is “overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NLT).
You can choose to stay true to God’s ways no matter what. You can keep trusting, believing and acting on His principles through a lean time in your finances or a health crisis. You can keep your words pure when others talk behind your back.
No matter what happens, you can choose God’s ways based on His Word, which always leads to the best outcome.