The faithfulness of Job, was so strong, that he was able to face many horrible challenges in his life, yet still cleave to God. He faced the loss of his worldly possessions, the death of all ten of his children, as well as various physical ailments, but he still did not sin against God (Job 1:22). His consistent obedience unto God is something to be marveled at, and we should all aspire to be as faithful to God as Job was. “Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21).
Job’s wife, on the other hand, did not share her husband’s spiritual strength. She did not encourage her husband to continue his obedience to God, but rather, she told him to “curse God, and die” (Job 2:9). While her words are very harsh and definitely not what she should have said to her husband, it would be beneficial to look at the possible reasons for Mrs. Job reacting in the way that she did.
First of all, it is apparent that Mrs. Job lacked the steadfast faith in God that her husband possessed. It is important to remember that she underwent much of the same hardships that Job did. When Job lost all of his worldly possessions, so did she. When Job lost all ten of his children, so did she. We are looking at two people who went through almost the same circumstances at the same time, but each reacted differently. The difference between Job and Mrs. Job is that Job had taken the time to prepare himself so that he could stay spiritually strong during tough times, while his wife did not.
How can we prepare ourselves to stay spiritually strong when the storms of life come upon us? First of all, we must become Christians by hearing (Romans 10:17), believing (Mark 16:16), repenting of our sins (Acts 2:38), confessing that Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 10:32), being baptized (Acts 22:16; I Peter 3:17-22), and remaining faithful unto death (Revelation 2:10). After becoming a Christian, it is important that we study the Word of God each day, and attend all worship services of our home congregation of the church of Christ.
We are to immerse ourselves in the Word of God, and meditate on it day and night (Psalm 1:2). Reading the Bible is a great comfort during trying times, and we can train our hearts and minds to stay spiritually strong during trying times in this way. “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11). Also, assembling with the saints each and every time our home congregation meets for worship is so important in cultivation of spiritual strength (Hebrews 10:24-25). Having the opportunity to devote ourselves to worship unto God and to feel the support and love from fellow Christians can help us during the challenging times in our lives. No one can face hardships and overcome them successfully alone. He or she must have God’s Help, as well as the help of others. Also, devoting our time to helping others is a great way to keep our minds focused on God during challenging times.
Mrs. Job had not taken the time to prepare herself for the challenges that she would be facing in her life. When being tested, she did not “make the grade” in that she showed unfaithfulness while bearing the same losses as her husband who kept his devotion to God intact. We all make choices on how a challenging event that takes place in our lives will affect us. As seen in the book of Job, the same event produced two different reactions. We can take this as a lesson in our own lives when challenging times come. Do we stay steadfast in the Lord as Job did, and was thereby blessed more than in his beginning (Job 42:12), or do exhibit unfaithfulness as did Mrs. Job? The choice that you make can determine whether you have a home in Heaven or a home in Hell one day. Please choose wisely!
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