Spiritual Survival Guide
Final Thoughts
Final Thoughts and a Prayer
For I am certain that neither prison wall, nor segregation unit, nor long-term sentence,
So here you are . . .
Listen to these powerful, stirring, and life-changing words, and think about the fact that St. Paul wrote these words while he was in prison, awaiting his execution at the hands of the state. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us ev- erything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecu- tion, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? . . . No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39) Make these words of St. Paul’s your own, for the God he knew and served in his jail cell is exactly the same God who is in your cell with you now.
nor probation period, nor family rejection, nor bouts of depression, nor crazy cellmate, nor cruel officer, nor gang, nor liquor store, nor denied appeal, nor lockdown, nor lack of visits, nor sleepless nights, nor failed job interviews, nor street corners, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are more than conquerors. You are God’s chosen, beloved ones. Go and live like it!
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