The Pain of Separation from God
When, at the age of 20, I encountered God and had my own experience with Him, in that moment my eyes were opened. And I could see the pain that separation from God brings. Living in Amsterdam, the center of progressiveness, I could see the consequences of this separation: young people without principles, lost, without foundation, living recklessly. And they look at us Christians with a sense of superiority, because we “don’t enjoy life” and follow “a fable.”
What saddens me is knowing that these young people don’t even give God a chance. They would rather live in the abyss. It is concerning to realize that these young people are the future CEOs, politicians, teachers, and so on. My father always said that this is why we must bring children into the world. The world needs good people, people with biblical principles, who live according to the Christian faith and who can provide a counterculture.
When I focus on man, I see sorrow, futility, and sin. Many times, this is frustrating. But it is a result from the fall, we live in a fallen world. When we live in God and know His goodness, it is hard to see that goodness denied and despised. But we must stand firm. And how do we do that? By looking to Christ and letting Him guide us. Christianity is a counterculture, and we will suffer for the name of Christ, but we can never stop fighting for Him. We must be strong in Christ and continue, every day, to live in His name. And we must know that we are together in this journey: our experience is not unique, and we can support one another.
The great thinker Solomon advises us always to remember our Creator and keep Him as our reference, so we may find and not lose the meaning of life. “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, ‘I find no pleasure in them’ [...] Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1,13,14)
Christians die every day for the name of God. Wherever you are, God has placed you there with a purpose. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:13–16)