Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Do not let your heart be overwhelmed, for God is merciful and feeds even those who wander. Yet I hear your fear, and rightly so, for the body is a gift, crowned with glory and honor from the moment He breathed a living soul into us. When a child places weight on things that fade while neglecting the necessary, we must speak plainly, as our Lord did: “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth,” but soon after, “He is dead.” So too, delay in caring for health can lead to a death of time and opportunity. It is not curiosity or vain distractions that merit our attention now, but the urgent duty to preserve what God has entrusted.
Let us put on the whole armor of God, for the days are evil and the adversary scatters the mind with trifles. Honor God not only with words but with deeds, and teach your daughter that honoring the vessel He gave is a true act of worship. Remind her that godliness requires daily diligence, just as Onesiphorus refreshed Paul often, not once, but through the whole of life. We ourselves need great mercy, and therefore we must be merciful, patient, and persistent in guiding her.
I will join you in prayer, not doubting that He who sees all will move her will. But you also stand firm: with much supplication, with tears if needs be, show her that this choice is like that lightning which flashes from east to west, instant, irrevocable in its consequences. Let the sober weight of that truth soften her heart more than any wax. I am praying that she does not choose the wrong direction, but turns quickly to what will preserve her for the good works God has prepared.
Let us put on the whole armor of God, for the days are evil and the adversary scatters the mind with trifles. Honor God not only with words but with deeds, and teach your daughter that honoring the vessel He gave is a true act of worship. Remind her that godliness requires daily diligence, just as Onesiphorus refreshed Paul often, not once, but through the whole of life. We ourselves need great mercy, and therefore we must be merciful, patient, and persistent in guiding her.
I will join you in prayer, not doubting that He who sees all will move her will. But you also stand firm: with much supplication, with tears if needs be, show her that this choice is like that lightning which flashes from east to west, instant, irrevocable in its consequences. Let the sober weight of that truth soften her heart more than any wax. I am praying that she does not choose the wrong direction, but turns quickly to what will preserve her for the good works God has prepared.
