On Suffering…
Why do bad things happen to good people? Is there a question more commonly asked when tragedy or sickness strike? The subject of suffering causes an involuntary shudder to go through our souls. No one - no one - wants to suffer. Yet it is common to the human experience. Peter tells us not to be surprised by suffering. (1 Peter 4:12) Understanding the root of suffering and its relationship to faith is foundational to how we will respond when (not if) we encounter it.
Consider:
• All suffering, epic or average, has one thing in common: it is the result of the fall. Pain and death were not part of God’s good creation. That began when man believed that he could be like God and decide for himself/herself what was good and what was evil (Genesis 3).
• Satan, as a sinful creature, has his sights on anything that God loves. Anyone following Jesus is a target. What to do when suffering is so near and hope feels far off:
• Reach for the attributes of God first. What do you believe about Him? How do you think He feels about you personally (not generically)?
• Often it is easier to believe that God so loved the world, but not feel like He loves ME! But that is a lie. God made you. (Psalm 139:13) God holds you near. (Isaiah 40:11) God died for you. (Romans 5:8)
• Remember: The Lord is near to the broken hearted and He saves those that are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
• Second, trust that suffering can ultimately be a vehicle for good. The most torturous thought for the sufferer is to think that what is being experienced has no purpose. Yet the Bible tells us that for the Christian, suffering is ultimately about hope (Romans 5:3). And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who was given to us. (Romans 5:5). For the believer, suffering is not pointless unless we refuse to move forward with the Lord as our strength.
• Third, remember that Jesus understands and identifies with our pain because He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with suffering. (Isaiah 53:3). There is deep connection in the community of suffering. To trust that Jesus understands what you are experiencing makes intimacy with Him grow. Create or join a community of others that have walked a similar path and found hope. Hope sheds light in the pit of suffering.
• Last, and this may be the most difficult. Gratitude is powerful. Repeatedly the Bible tells us to give thanks in all situations. Not for all things but in all things. ( Ephesians 5:20, 1 Thessalonians 5:18) It is counterintuitive to think that praising God could bring peace, but David says it most beautifully in Psalm 40:1-3
I relied completely on the Lord, and He turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud, He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to Him and trust in the Lord!
If you are in need of support we have a prayer team that would count it an honor to pray for you. Reach out to us at: hello@athomebiblestudy.com
Resources:
https://www.denisonforum.org/resources/an-honest-approach-to-the-mystery-of-suffering/
https://billygraham.org/story/suffering-why-does-god-allow-it/
By Laura Deskins