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Question 5

The intimate-with-God person is described as viewing riches and poverty, honor and dishonor, health and sickness, life and death, work and pleasure “with indifference.” Which of those contrasts exposes the most “non-indifference” in you, and how might early Christians have trained their instincts to respond differently than the world?

Another way to ask: Which pair is hardest for you to be calm about—riches/poverty, honor/dishonor, health/sickness, life/death, or work/pleasure? How might early Christians have trained themselves to react differently than the world does?

Direct Answer The chapter’s point is that intimacy with God produces a steady, discerning heart that doesn’t rise or fall with circumstances the world treats as decisive. The transcript doesn’t specify a training program, but it implies early Christians trained their instincts through dying to self, endurance in trial, and disciplined spiritual warfare over desires and thoughts.

Support from Transcript:

The intimate-with-God person handles “riches and poverty, honor and dishonor, health and sickness, life and death, and work and pleasure” and “views them all with indifference.”
“Bearing the cross” involves separating from “delights and pleasures,” which would retrain instincts away from comfort.
“Endurance is another godly trait,” with Daniel as an example of faithfulness under pressure.
Under trial, he “will bless God like Job… pray like Jonah,” showing a practiced response that doesn’t depend on outcomes.
Spiritual warfare language (armor, strongholds, thoughts captive) suggests continual inner training.

Discussion Follow-ups Which contrast most controls your mood or decisions? How would your reactions change if you practiced contentment with necessities and trained your thoughts to resist “appearances”?

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