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Not all suffering is the result of personal sin. Sometimes we suffer because someone else sinned against us. Sometimes hardship comes through persecution, sickness, loss, or simply living in a fallen world. We should never assume we know why another person is suffering or carelessly accuse them of causing it. But there is a question we should be willing to ask about our own suffering: Could my response be making it worse? We may have been genuinely wronged, yet respond with bitterness, sinful anger, revenge, withdrawal, substance abuse, sexual sin, or other destructive choices. The original hurt may not have been our fault, but our responses can add another layer of pain. Today we’ll look at three heart-probing questions that can help us identify whether sin is complicating our suffering. We’ll also consider the important ministry God has given older believers and ask what truly makes someone a child of God.
The Bible has a great deal to say about wisdom[...]
We may tell ourselves that a sinful habit, attitude, or choice is private—that it only affects us. But sin rarely stays neatly contained. What is in our hearts eventually works its way into our words, attitudes, priorities, and relationships. And nowhere can the effects be more profound than in our own homes. Our children hear what we say about God, marriage, forgiveness, obedience, and the Christian life. But they also watch how we live when no one else is looking. They see how we treat our spouses, how we handle conflict, what we do when we're angry, and whether we repent when we're wrong. So, what are we really teaching our children? The good news is that our failures don't have to be the end of the story. Our children can also see the gospel lived out when we confess our sin, ask forgiveness, and humbly seek God's help to change. Also, we'll look at the conclusion of Ecclesiastes and the purpose Solomon gives us for life, along with a beautiful picture in Proverbs of the sweetness and value of God's wisdom.
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