Yesterday I gave a list of 7 disciplines to keep in order to be strong in the midst of a major trial. It is a sad thing to me to see people who are supposedly Christians experiencing a trial the same way a lost person does. During the days before mom died and after she died I cried, got choked up when I tried to talk about it, and had periods of sadness and depression. But during any tough time I don’t ever think that God is somehow being unfair or unloving to me, I don’t think that I have more than I can handle, I am not grouchy or unkind to others because of my pain. During tough times I can act strong, talk nice, smile and tell funny stories. If I choose to act the way I just described I will be observed by those who don’t know Jesus and they will be attracted to my strength and want to know the reason.

One of the disciplines that I mentioned in yesterday’s blog was act strong and soon you will be strong. When I say act strong I am not meaning to pretend to be someone you aren’t. People pretend in order to impress other people. When we choose to act strong, we are choosing to behave in a way that is right, in a way that is considerate of others, and in a way we know is pleasing to God.

In the book of Ezekiel God tells Ezekiel that his wife is going to die and when she does He doesn’t want Ezekiel to mourn for her as part of a prophecy and message of judgment to the nation of Israel.

Ezekiel 24:18 So I spoke to the people in the morning, and in the evening my wife died. And in the morning I did as I was commanded.

The question is, how was Ezekiel able to do that? And the answer is, because God told him to. When we are seeking to obey God and please Him we have strength, we become a strong person.