Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

It's tempting to think, when we're having a tough time - 'where IS God?', or 'if He was real He'd be doing something about....' 

It seems natural for us to question things when we do not understand what is happening. 

Paul, a guy we read about in the Bible, has a different stance. Yet, he probably has more reason than most of us to question God's motives. He gets; shut up in prison, is persecuted, suffers pain, loneliness and hunger. However, he asks a different question. Not, where is God? or what is He up to? but, 'who shall separate us from the love of God?'

The first word in that question interests me, 'who', not, 'what'. 

Could it be that when we question what is occurring in our lives, when things seem depressing, distressing and disagreeable that we are the 'who' getting in the way of the love of Christ?

If it is us questioning God, then surely it must be us, our minds that are causing the separation between us and God. It's not God's fault, inability or inaction that causes it, neither is it the situation itself.

Paul tells us that tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sword cannot separate us from the love of Christ! So, what does? or who can? 

I think we need to take responsibility. Now, I know that the devil works pretty hard to damage our opinion of God, and he whispers lies and deceit in our ears at any opportunity, but don't we have the right to decide what we listen to? don't we have the capacity and the authority to decide who is influencing us?

God is not distant, He loves you, His son even died to restore you and your relationship with God. That's an incredible love!

There is nothing on God's part that is wrong when things seem to go wrong, so who is it that can separate us? 

In the depressing, distressing and disagreeable times, are you diligent in your relationship with God? Do you still put Him first? Do you run to Him? do you spend time with Him? or does that go by the wayside?

Whose responsibility is it to ensure that you remain connected and not separated to the love of Christ?

It doesn't matter what is going on,  'Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture' can separate us from the love of Christ. None of these things. (Message version) 

So, next time you face a difficult situation, consider; who shall separate us from the love of God?' and let the enemy do his worst, stand firm in your relationship with God. Take responsibility and make the decision that you are not going to let the circumstances around you affect the certainty of the love of God - it's much bigger, much stronger and more enduring than anthing you are going through.

Romans 8:35-39English Standard Version (ESV)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 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.