One of the biggest problems in today's society in spreading the good news
is the question "How can you believe in a God of love after the suffering
that goes on?"
But what if there was no suffering?
Then, we may not learn some of the lessons God has for us to learn. I am
not saying that everybody needs suffering in order to learn their lesson.
Suffering through being bullied has helped me to learn about self control and
treating others like Christ would want.
Let's go back to Genesis and see how suffering started.
In Genesis 1 we read that things were perfect, no sin no pain no suffering,
no need for suffering. Now then God made Adam and Eve and things
perfect. But what did they do, they disobeyed God by eating from the tree
of knowledge of good and evil. So God had to punish them.
Genesis 3:14-16 gives us an account of the fall and the judgements on
Adam and Eve. In verse 16 God punished Eve by causing her to suffer pain
in childbirth. It also says that Adam was the to rule over Eve. Adam's
punishment was that he would have to work for a living. But let's be clear
on this, work is not a reaction of sin, it's needing to work for a living, which
is a result of sin.
God mostly does not give as suffering - he uses it for our good when we get
it.
Suffering is only used by God when there is no other way. But we should
not think that suffering is always punishment.
Thus we meet our good friend Job.
Now the book of Job clearly states that Job did nothing wrong. Now the
devil and God met one day, and God says, "So what do you make of my
friend Job?"
The devil says, "Come on God, Job doesn't love you one bit - make him
suffer and find out who your real mates are."
My feeling is that God knew that Job would have an easy win. It was God
not Job who was being tested.
Job says about his suffering: "Shall we accept good from God and not
trouble?" and he said to his wife that she should not hate God over it.
So we read that Job knew that God was right. This means that suffering is
not always bad. (2:10 NIV)
One might then say, "But how come little children suffer?"
That brings us to the next point - suffering may not be for our good, it
maybe for the good of others or to bring glory to God. This suffering is a
result of Satan's work. But God can fool Satan and turn Satan's work into
something good.
I might also add that God blesses those who mourn and those who are
poor.
Sometimes suffering is just evil - nothing good can come from it, but God is
in control, we shouldn't say to someone who has been raped, that they must
find something good out of it. It was not God's will, although something
good may or may not come from it.
'For you, O God, tested us:
you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison
and laid burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads:
we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.'
Psalm 66:10-12
Psalm 66:10-12 explains that suffering helped the children of Israel to
become better people. In this passage the writter is saying " thanks for the
trials and testing".
We should not be caught up in the false understanding "life is a rip-off", but
if we play God's mean game of suffering, maybe if we get lucky things might
be alright in heaven. Putting up with suffering and hoping that that will get
you into heaven is not right. This belief is like the ancient pagan worship of
Mother Earth.
Now lets see what the bible says about how we need to view suffering.
James 1 tells us that we are to work through suffering because it will help
our faith. Now Matthew 11:28-30 tells us that if we are heavy burdened
and Jesus will give us rest. This means not that he will take away suffering,
but that suffering will mean something. There will always be suffering in our
lives but if we take Christ's yoke he will grant us meaning in our suffering or
at least the strength to carry on.
But the problem may not be that we don't like suffering, but that we have a
very wrong understanding of what tough love is. Some people think that it is
just some silly excuse that people like using when they don't want to
comfort people who are in pain. But this couldn't be more false, because
tough love is what keep's us moving and becoming better people. We need
to understand that we must find something good from suffering, instead of
hiding behind this ridiculous myth that says "tough love is from some bad
old meanie whose only aim is to stop us from being cuddled".
Of course people in pain need comfort, however this should not stop us
from helping people from understanding the need for tough love.
So let's be comforted by the fact that there is a loving God who wants the
best for us who is helping us to find meaning in our suffering.
Last Updated - 20/09/2003
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