“Honestly, I just want to live my life as it comes!”

Sometimes, there are burdens in life that we cannot tell even to a friend we have been friends with for 20 years or to our spouse.
As we age, we all have at least one 'life problem' that seems to have no solution.
There is a problem where on the outside they laugh, chat, and have fun, but when they are alone, they think about this and sigh.
As I wander between the seemingly hopeless economic situation, the fear of being laid off from my job, the existential emptiness that makes me wonder, "Why do I have to work so hard?" whenever I forget, and the spiritual stagnation that makes it seem as if God doesn't exist, I begin to wonder if "living by faith" is nothing more than religious self-consolation.

“I don’t ask for much...” In the midst of the hopelessness with no exit in sight, we begin to look for a ‘substitute for faith.’

First, we fall into unfounded optimism.
“Everything will be okay,” “Life is like a blessing in disguise, it’s okay,” “If you ask for specifics, God will help you specifically,” etc. If you are ‘super positive’ about worldly matters, you expect that things will eventually work out well.
However, since there is no ability or basis to support that positivity, it is only a matter of time before it falls if things get even a little difficult.
Unfounded optimism creates the illusion of believing something when there is no belief.

Second, I believe that success and peace are the result of faith.
I think that as long as the process is successful and your mind is at peace, that's all that matters.
However, not everyone who succeeds is acknowledged by God, and not everyone who has a good heart has faith.
There are failures that seem like successes, and there are lives that God praises even when we feel the hardship of thinking, "This life is ruined."

Third, believe in solving problems.
There are people who are prepared to 'give up' their faith if this problem is not resolved.
On the other hand, there is also a desire to regard the being that solves problems as a god.
It is true that having faith gives you the wisdom and ability to solve problems, but solving problems does not necessarily prove faith.

Wishes are good things, but sometimes they hurt.
Because when your wishes are frustrated, the disappointment is greater.
Moreover, if we feel that God is not granting even the most basic of human desires, we cannot help but despair.
It is impossible not to feel discouraged when we see that the wicked are doing well while the good are unable to escape from suffering.
(…) What should we do in times like these? Why on earth does God drive us into such despair? We need to consider the story of Jairus with this question in mind.
Because even though Jairus pleaded and fell down, he experienced great despair.
Chapter 1.
When life crumbles under fear_ pages 19, 21

Many Christians today say in words and thoughts that they believe in a “God with us,” but when we look at their lives and actions, it seems that God is either watching from afar and occasionally intervening with miracles, or He simply watches from afar without interfering.
Therefore, to know what kind of God a person truly believes in, we must look at his life and actions, not his words.

Chapter 2.
What kind of God do we believe in?_ Page 57

Often, Christians secretly think, “If we just invite Jesus into our boat of life, we will be able to sail through life with the wind at our sails, without facing any rough seas.”
So, even if there is a little storm or storm in life, I don't know what to do.
“There is joy in suffering.
I am more anxious and fearful than an atheist who says, “The more suffering I have, the more my heart races.”
If you are anxious and fearful in the face of the storms of life, you will become a pathetic human being who cannot even catch the fish you need to make a living, let alone become a fisher of men.

Chapter 3.
If you can't avoid the storms of life_ Page 79

The young, wealthy official who had acquired social status and wealth by meditating on, reflecting on, and silently observing the commandments since childhood resembled a camel in every way.
However, the social status and wealth he gained by living faithfully under the yoke of the law and the yoke of repentance actually became a decisive obstacle that prevented him from entering the eye of the needle called eternal life.

Why? Because eternal life isn't some bonus you get along with social status or wealth by simply keeping a few visible commandments.
Because eternal life is a treasure of the kingdom of God that can sometimes be obtained only by selling one's position and wealth.

Chapter 5.
Zacchaeus and the Rich Ruler: The Paradox of Salvation_ Page 120

When you read the Bible with a focus on blessings, you will notice something unusual.
Neither Psalm 1 nor Jesus' Beatitudes have ever clearly defined "what is a blessing?"
They are simply 'describes' who the blessed are, saying things like, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked" or "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
So why doesn't the Bible define happiness, but only describes who a happy person is?
Chapter 6.
The Secret of Blessed People and Their Prosperity_ Page 137

Rabbi Oshri wrote down the many heartbreaking questions and stories Jews had asked him during the Nazi era on short pieces of paper and hid them in a tin can.
Based on this, he wrote a four-volume Hebrew book, and in 1983 published an abridged English version, Responsa from the Holocaust.
The questions in this book are impossible to read without tears.
But more importantly, in such a difficult, hellish situation, they did not degenerate into beasts, but instead asked high-level questions that strengthened their faith.
(…)
It is amazing that there were Jews who refused to deny God and gave their lives to keep God and His laws, even when it felt as if God had abandoned them.
Despite being treated worse than animals, why did they manage to avoid being reduced to the level of beasts even in the deepest depths of Nazi hell?
Chapter 7.
Crying Out of the Deep_ pages 159-160

God's righteousness must not stop at this distributive justice.
The fact that the master gave a denarius to everyone clearly shows what God's righteousness is, which goes beyond "distributive justice."

Why did the vineyard owner give each worker a denarius? It was so that each worker could live with dignity and value as a human being.
Some argue that one denarius was enough to sustain a family for about two days, but others believe it was enough to sustain a family for three or four days, as there were not many days when people could actually work.
In any case, a denarius a day was an appropriate wage that allowed a day laborer's family to live without losing their dignity and worth.
At that time, Roman soldiers also received one denarius per day.
Because a denarius was needed to support one's parents and raise one's children, and to enjoy human dignity and value, the owner of the vineyard gave one denarius even though he had only worked for one hour.
In this way, the righteousness of the kingdom of God respects human dignity and value to a degree that cannot be compared to the distributive justice of the world.

Chapter 8.
Do You Have Eyes to See the Kingdom of God?_ Page 191

The evil of the world lost its power in the love of Jesus, who did not repay the evil done to him with evil, but even forgave his enemies who crucified him.
Perhaps, in order to overcome evil with good rather than repaying evil with evil, our souls must go through the pain of having to 'absorb' evil.
We may have to endure the pain of overcoming evil with good, rather than repaying evil with evil, while bearing the full brunt of the evil the world inflicts upon us.
However, the pain of forgiveness that requires loving even such enemies ultimately becomes the strength that allows us to overcome evil with good rather than being defeated by evil.
Chapter 9.
Is it possible to love your enemies?_ Page 221

In ancient Near East Asia, when making a treaty or alliance, it is said that the representatives of the allied nations ate salted meat together to symbolize the eternity of the treaty.
In this way, salt is mainly used in the Bible as a ‘symbol of immutability.’

Ultimately, when Jesus told his disciples, “You are the salt of the earth,” he meant that they should never lose their unique flavor as disciples, no matter what the situation or conditions.
Even if they are persecuted and insulted, disciples must never change.
When disciples are persecuted for righteousness, when they are reviled for Jesus' sake, they must show unchanging discipleship by rejoicing and being glad, and only then can they truly become the salt of the earth.

Chapter 10.
The Salt of the Earth, That Incredible Calling_ Page 235

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