Chrysostom
Beloved of All
The prayer you cry out reveals a heart that knows to whom it must flee in the storm. This is good, for the Lord Himself said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Yet I perceive a soul buffeted not only by outward trials but by a tempest within. You ask for many things, protection, vindication, a future husband, success in studies, but the central plea is this: that no weapon formed against you and your daughter should prosper, and that the lies and manipulation of others be exposed and rendered powerless. Hear then what the Spirit teaches through the words of the Apostle and the witness of the Scriptures.
When the blind man was questioned by the Pharisees, they brought him forward expecting him to deny the truth out of fear. Yet he did not waver; he spoke boldly what he knew to be true, and his testimony stood. Do you see? The very plots laid against him became the means by which the truth shone more brightly. So it is for you. If you walk in righteousness, clinging to what is true and refusing to return evil for evil, the lies of others will ultimately fall to the ground. Not because you are clever or eloquent, but because Christ is the Truth, and those who abide in Him share in that unassailable strength. Do not let the dread of human courts or slanderers disturb you more than the fear of God. I rejoiced to see you pray, “Let not my heart or mind be polluted from evil tongues so I walk by fear and own sight.” This is a sober petition. For there is a fear that is holy, the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, and there is a fear that is worldly, which spins the soul into distrust and despair. The Apostle himself came to the Corinthians “in fear and in much trembling,” not because he dreaded men, but because he stood in awe of the divine message entrusted to him. Emulate that awe. Let the wrath of God against all unrighteousness be ever before your eyes, and you will care little for the fleeting judgments of men.
But take heed: you have asked that the lies of your ex and his family be revealed, and that their hearts be melted. This is a Christian prayer, for we are commanded to bless those who persecute us. Beware, however, lest your zeal for justice cross into slander. The Lord said, “If you speak evil, though it be within yourself, even so shall you suffer the utmost punishment.” He did not say, “If you speak false evil,” but simply, “If you speak evil.” The Pharisee spoke what was factually true about the tax collector, yet he went home condemned. When you must speak of your situation to authorities, do so with precision and restraint, without venom or exaggeration. Let your words be few and measured, and trust the Spirit to bring hidden things to light in His own time. That same Spirit, who revealed the mystery of Christ to the Apostles in a way they could never have grasped by human reason, can guide your documents and your speech. He knows how to make crooked paths straight.
I commend you for begging the Lord to send people who will bless your life and help you discern those sent by Him. In these trials, be not like those who waste their energies wrangling over worldly substance. The offices of true piety are these: feeding the hungry, protecting the injured, caring for strangers, succoring the widow, and presiding over the vulnerable. Occupy your mind with such things, and let the fretful concern over legal battles and the opinions of others lose its grip on your heart. Not that you neglect your responsibilities, the care of your child is a sacred trust, but fulfill them as unto the Lord, not as a servile drudge driven by terror.
You have invoked the covering of Christ’s blood. Hold fast to that! When He was crucified, the gates of brass were broken, the dead were raised, and the keepers of hell cowered in fear. Do you imagine that the same Lord who shattered the prison of death cannot silence a lying tongue or stay a threatened court proceeding? He can, and He may, but even if He permits the trial to continue, He will never permit it to separate you from His love or from your daughter if you remain faithful. The chastisements that come in this life are for correction, not for destruction. Those who now speak against you will answer to the Judge of all, and their unrepented wickedness carries its own reward. Do not seek to hasten that judgment by your own hand or tongue; leave it to Him who judges justly.
As for the other desires of your heart, a husband of faith, success in your education, these are not wrong to bring before the Lord, but let them be held loosely. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added as He sees fit. The peril lies in becoming so ensnared by a multitude of requests that the one thing needful, sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word, is neglected. Be instant in prayer, but also in stillness before Him. The enemy would love to keep your soul in such a whirl of anxiety that you cannot hear the still small voice.
Rise up, then, not with the bravado of the world, but with the courage born of a holy fear. Walk into each day as under the gaze of heaven. Speak the truth without malice. Entrust your child to God with open hands, for she is more His than yours. When the lying accusations stir, remember: those who hold down the truth in unrighteousness are storing up wrath for themselves. But you, if you endure without returning cursing for cursing, will find that the very weapons forged against you become the instruments of your refining and your deliverance. Stand fast in this confidence: the Word is not bound, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
When the blind man was questioned by the Pharisees, they brought him forward expecting him to deny the truth out of fear. Yet he did not waver; he spoke boldly what he knew to be true, and his testimony stood. Do you see? The very plots laid against him became the means by which the truth shone more brightly. So it is for you. If you walk in righteousness, clinging to what is true and refusing to return evil for evil, the lies of others will ultimately fall to the ground. Not because you are clever or eloquent, but because Christ is the Truth, and those who abide in Him share in that unassailable strength. Do not let the dread of human courts or slanderers disturb you more than the fear of God. I rejoiced to see you pray, “Let not my heart or mind be polluted from evil tongues so I walk by fear and own sight.” This is a sober petition. For there is a fear that is holy, the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, and there is a fear that is worldly, which spins the soul into distrust and despair. The Apostle himself came to the Corinthians “in fear and in much trembling,” not because he dreaded men, but because he stood in awe of the divine message entrusted to him. Emulate that awe. Let the wrath of God against all unrighteousness be ever before your eyes, and you will care little for the fleeting judgments of men.
But take heed: you have asked that the lies of your ex and his family be revealed, and that their hearts be melted. This is a Christian prayer, for we are commanded to bless those who persecute us. Beware, however, lest your zeal for justice cross into slander. The Lord said, “If you speak evil, though it be within yourself, even so shall you suffer the utmost punishment.” He did not say, “If you speak false evil,” but simply, “If you speak evil.” The Pharisee spoke what was factually true about the tax collector, yet he went home condemned. When you must speak of your situation to authorities, do so with precision and restraint, without venom or exaggeration. Let your words be few and measured, and trust the Spirit to bring hidden things to light in His own time. That same Spirit, who revealed the mystery of Christ to the Apostles in a way they could never have grasped by human reason, can guide your documents and your speech. He knows how to make crooked paths straight.
I commend you for begging the Lord to send people who will bless your life and help you discern those sent by Him. In these trials, be not like those who waste their energies wrangling over worldly substance. The offices of true piety are these: feeding the hungry, protecting the injured, caring for strangers, succoring the widow, and presiding over the vulnerable. Occupy your mind with such things, and let the fretful concern over legal battles and the opinions of others lose its grip on your heart. Not that you neglect your responsibilities, the care of your child is a sacred trust, but fulfill them as unto the Lord, not as a servile drudge driven by terror.
You have invoked the covering of Christ’s blood. Hold fast to that! When He was crucified, the gates of brass were broken, the dead were raised, and the keepers of hell cowered in fear. Do you imagine that the same Lord who shattered the prison of death cannot silence a lying tongue or stay a threatened court proceeding? He can, and He may, but even if He permits the trial to continue, He will never permit it to separate you from His love or from your daughter if you remain faithful. The chastisements that come in this life are for correction, not for destruction. Those who now speak against you will answer to the Judge of all, and their unrepented wickedness carries its own reward. Do not seek to hasten that judgment by your own hand or tongue; leave it to Him who judges justly.
As for the other desires of your heart, a husband of faith, success in your education, these are not wrong to bring before the Lord, but let them be held loosely. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all other things shall be added as He sees fit. The peril lies in becoming so ensnared by a multitude of requests that the one thing needful, sitting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word, is neglected. Be instant in prayer, but also in stillness before Him. The enemy would love to keep your soul in such a whirl of anxiety that you cannot hear the still small voice.
Rise up, then, not with the bravado of the world, but with the courage born of a holy fear. Walk into each day as under the gaze of heaven. Speak the truth without malice. Entrust your child to God with open hands, for she is more His than yours. When the lying accusations stir, remember: those who hold down the truth in unrighteousness are storing up wrath for themselves. But you, if you endure without returning cursing for cursing, will find that the very weapons forged against you become the instruments of your refining and your deliverance. Stand fast in this confidence: the Word is not bound, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
