The Question of Suffering
Oftentimes through our pain and anguish which is sometimes called Life, come the age old question of WHY?
Many times in peoples attempt to answer this question, peoples feelings are hurt. Some are quick to say there is sin in your life, some say you made wrong decisions, some say to don't take care of yourself, some are super cruel and say you deserve it!. Some say God is a cruel God to allow such things to happen when He is able to make it stop. So Why?
After a conversation with a very dear, sweet friend who is in great pain almost constantly I began to ponder the why of it also:
First I will start with what Jesus said:
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
The truth of the matter is life in this world is not an easy one. We often wonder if we suffer needlessly; is it all in vain?
Paul tells us in Galations 3:4 "Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain?" The apostle Paul understood how God works.
1. God sometimes lets us have what we want just to show us it really isn't what we need and He held it back to save us from the pain it would cause. But we always think we know better:
God tried to spare Adam and Eve from this reality while they were protected in His Garden. But like the rest of us we think there is something better waiting for us just because someone tells us so or it looks like it. (As in "The Grass is greener on the other side of the fence." Looks good, bet it tastes better the cow says as he escapes from his fence of protection, only to fall in a ditch or get hit by a car on the road.)
Obviously Adam and Eve desired that forbidden fruit or the serpent couldn't tempt them so easily. It was desirable to look at and they were probably curious why they couldn't have it. Whats the big deal, fruit is fruit? The serpent knew there desire and Eve was probably the easier target. But Adam was right there and did nothing to stop her. Eve never heard it from God, only Adam told her, she was not yet created when God told him. So she may have wondered if Adam was just saying that...we will never know.
God could have sent another Angel to guard the tree to keep them from getting their desire for more knowledge, more power, more food, more of who God was, but, He didn't. God in His wisdom and perhaps previous conversations with Adam and Eve realized they would never let it go, so...He let them have what they wanted because that was the only way they would learn to not desire foolish things and to trust Him, and understand that He knows what He is talking about. As parents we understand that. The age old lesson of letting the child touch something hot to help them learn what hot means. Adam and Eve for generations still ongoing have many who are very mad at them for not trusting God that day.
2. Sometimes we take our blessings for granted. We complain and complain that we never have enough. Enough money, a bigger house, a boat, a bigger, better car, etc... We always have to keep up with those who have more. As Christians, we are often told that we are not blessed by God if we don't have all these things, therefore, we are considered poor and lost when we don't have it. I guess that put Jesus in the same boat, He had now where to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20)
My husband and I fell for that once. We complained, and griped. Well, one day my husband who was working 3 jobs, had to have back surgery which took him almost a year or so to recover completely from. Our sons were old enough to take over the family businesses. Well, one day, our largest source of our income was gone in the blink of an eye. He was a contract hauler and the company closed down that we hauled for. We went from about a $1,000.00 a week to $50.00 a week. Our outlook on what our blessings were quickly changed. But God didn't abandon us. He blessed our sons with jobs until we could get back on our feet good again. We became thankful for what we still had, the $50.00, our mowing business and the boys ablility to work and the good work ethic they had. When debt collectors were hounding us on the phone and leaving threatening messages, we realized God had been holding them back behind the scenes and we didn't even realize it. We learned that there are blessings that we don't know about that God is working behind the scenes.
We had been in that position once before when John was out of the work when our children were little. It was due to a company change and the new owners let people go. It was then we saw what true friends were and how God uses His people to bless others. Friends neighbors and family and my coworkers helped us with Christmas and food. I had asked a friend if I could borrow $15.00 until his unemployment started. She said to come by and get it. She pulled some money out of her purse and asked if I could hold out my hand so she could count it because she didn't count it at the bank. I agreed. She placed $100.00 on my palm and then closed my hand over it. I strongly said, NO! There is no way I can repay this! She lovingly said "God told me to give this to you and you will be robbing me of a blessing if you do not take it."
Even though we deserve the consequences of our actions; when we realize what we did wrong, God is there to pick up the pieces and help us back up. He is Our Blessing.
3. Why the pain?
Job is a well know person for this question. Through his endurance and faith in God through the most horrendous circumstances; He has help thousands of people throughout thousands of years. Sometimes our willingness to trust God and love Him no matter what life throws at us, gives people hope that they too can survive.
Jesus live in our world of nightmares, torment, mockery, tears, condemnation and unbearable pain and even prison. He didn't have to He chose to:
“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17-18 (to show us we could overcome the world through Him).
4. Oftentimes we grieve and pray for our lost loved ones. Sometimes for years at a time. We pray and we Cry. One day we become very sick or deathly ill and the doctors can't help, they don't know the causes behind it. We wonder, God Why? Have I done something wrong? Is this a trial? etc...
No, Actually, I realized this is an answer to your prayers. You prayed for your children to seek God. He sent workers to them. It worked for awhile and they went back. You prayed and cried again. Sometimes we pray "Whatever It takes". And sometimes that answer can be why you are in the place you are.
While you are suffering terribly you prayer is being answered because your children begin to cry out to God for you. Seeking for answers, seeking for solutions. When once they took you for granted and thought you would always be there, they suddenly realize maybe you won't. It is a painful thought, but they are praying and they are seeking and this is your prayer being answered. You are fighting in your body and spirit, not for your own life, but for theirs.
5. Then there is the battle of persecution, just because you are a believer in Jesus.
Jesus tell us in Matthew 5:11-12: "11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
One often wonders how in the world the disciples could have rejoiced after being beaten in Acts 5:40-41. "And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.
In my own life I had suffered beatings from my husband for the first 7 years of our marriage. I was not rejoicing. He was not a believer, nor did he want to be or to hear of it. A few times I attempted to leave him but God always impressed upon me to either stay or return to him. I questioned the why of it because I knew that God knew the beatings would continue. Did God hate me? Did he enjoy seeing me get hurt? Or was there something more I couldn't comprehend?
After the very first beating God promised me He would one day save my husband. That is what I held onto. After nine years of our 43 years of marriage, My husband surrendered his life to the Lord and accepted Jesus as his Savior. He gave everything, his all to God through Jesus. He totally and completely became a new person whom so many loved and respected the rest of his days. Our children accepted Jesus because they said God gave them a new daddy! No one who knew him after could believe he ever would hurt anyone. Those who knew him before were confused and amazed as they pondered and searched the reason of what happened to him and why was he so different.
As for me, I did not at first understand the why of things while going through my nightmare world. Afterwards I saw it as a lesson of God's unconditional love and trust me unconditional love is NOT an easy thing! Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." *** NEVER take that unconditional love of God for granted.***
Would I do it again? The miracles and the joy that took place and which was Gods intended plan, YES!
It was so extremely hard and often dangerous. My husband and I discussed this often: He was working his way up to killing me. Had God's plan not prevailed, I would have ended up dead, he would have ended up in prison or dead and we didn't even want to think of what would happen to our children! All the tears, the struggle and all the pain was very worth the results. The struggles of life continued as does everyone's. But now we were going through it together. Trusting God to help us, the best we could, as we continued to find our way through this life.
In Jesus day, during His life and His crucifixion, His family and followers could not see or understand the why of His sufferings and death, it did not make any sense until RESURRECTION MORNING. The Battle was spiritual, it had to be fought in the physical realm, even in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus, for a moment was scared and tried to back out, but deep inside He knew the victory would not be easy but had to be accomplished. God had a surprise ending. So Jesus said: "Not my will, but Yours be done." What could the results have been if He hadn't obeyed God? We sure would be in a lot bigger mess then this world is in now. If we keep going the way we are rejecting God in every walk of life, we will experience that worse scenario.
When life is too horrible to be imagined, remember you truly CAN do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Philippians 4:13.
In Closing:
I Peter 4:12-15: " Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.
I Peter 5:10: "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.
