these and other such states of life could very well be used to give greater glory to God, but too frequently, they result in complacency and spiritual sloth. They seduce us into attaching ourselves to the pleasing (albeit temporary) things of the world we can see, while distancing ourselves from the blessings and eternal promises of the God we cannot see. Suffering and loss, however, quickly get our attention. If we are hopeful, they become a much-needed remedy for apostasy. We tend to learn obedience