When life goes well for the child of God the world throws Satan's comment at us. We are accused of being Christians simply because God is good to us. Then when trials come our way Satan asks us what good it is to serve God. So we cannot win. When we are blessed we are accused of being Christians for what we get out of it. When trials come we are taunted to think God hates us and is just punishing us for no good reason.
Christians never serve God for what we can get out of it. We serve the Lord because He deserves our loyal devotion. It is that simple. We never serve God because we want an easy life or health and wealth. That is self serving and like the man who marries a rich heiress so he will never have to work. God ought to be loved and served simply because of Who He is, not what He chooses to bless us with.
Christians do not serve the Lord in order to become basketball stars, successful business people, or be sure of health and wealth. Naturally we desire to have enough to live on. Of course we wish to live in good health and have enough food for the table. We wish all our relationships to go well and we certainly do not want to have enemies. When the time comes we wish to die peacefully in our sleep full of years.
Those who serve God ought to be fully aware that dark times may come to us. We may be among the poorest of the poor. We may be sickly all our lives. If that is our lot then we seek to show a watching world that God alone is enough to keep us content in this life.
Rise up Christian and live in light of eternity. Set your affections on the things of heaven and not on things of this life. Make eternity your treasure and hope. Then, and only then, will you live contented lives here and now. A discontent spirit in a Christian is a blight on their soul.
If you have pined for the things of this life that elude you, cease from that sin. Meditate on your treasure in heaven instead. Be eager for your eternal inheritance to come to you in Christ.
Confess your sin of covetousness if you have such sin. Determine to be indifferent to the toys of time and know that your eternal home is where your heart ought to be.
Let the world criticize us any way it desires. We know what is ahead and so we can accept what we have or do not have now. That is how to put today's trials in perspective.
Our day will come if we live patiently under the stresses of our situation. instead of looking at our situation and saying, "I can't win anyhow!" Look at our future in glory and say, "I can't lose anyhow!"