God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.. If youre going through a tough time, take heart. So even in the sorrow you feel right now, you can look forward with hope to the fulfillment of this plan. God allows struggle and difficult times because we are sinners and we all come short of the glory of God. We get to choose. Home Suffering is coming to an end. In Second Corinthians we read: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. However, for reasons known only to Him, He often allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. But there is evil in the world. Rather it focuses on how we should respond. God is waiting, Hes being patient, Hes continually pursuing those far from Him in hopes they will return to Him. To become better at your job? Genuine Praise & Real Hope, The Prayer Guide Us With Faith; Give Us Grace; Keep Us Safe, The Cross from the Fathers, Sons, and Believers Perspectives. The Bible contains a lot of suffering, but surprisingly says little about it. But we can understand what God has spoken to us through His Word. Compounding the pain of suffering are the answers often given by Christians. It's a book for everyone, and it releases tomorrow from Dutton. For more about the effects of sin and the work of Jesus check out: What Is Sin? Moody. The Bible spends much its time reminding us that our suffering is not meaningless, there is hope. Suffering happens in community and we have a responsibility to be of support and aid to those who are suffering around us. Genesis 1:31 says God saw all that He had made and it was very good," he continued. He not only faced pain (that he didnt deserve) he promised it many times to his followers. Without it, we cannot truly experience love. He created the earth, and all that is in it, to be in perfect harmony with His character and nature. Reasons God allows pain in the life of unbelievers include showing them their need for God and as judgment for sin. Mathew Henry writes, Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. There is a mystery as to why He put people on this earth. And I get that. Local: 704-401-2432 Hebrews 5:14 tells us, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.". Father. Jesus sees pain as an avenue for growth. question), we can nevertheless respond in two important ways. Why is there pain in the world? Pain is a frontline defense of the body. A small percentage of the world has a genetic disorder called congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis or CIPA, basically meaning they feel no pain. God is all-powerful. Why does God allow suffering? A better spouse? Abraham's Bosom? But God has provided a rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. When God created everything, He said it was all "good." Remember that in Genesis 1:31, God looked over His creation and called it "good.". These stories liter our feeds on social media and are in almost every movie Hollywood makes. Betrayal leaves many wondering if they will ever be whole again. Trials take our minds off of things of the world and put them back on the Lord. Trying to be more like Jesus each day. He uses it to remove sin from our lives and to make us more into the image of Christ. All suffering includes pain, but not all pain is suffering. Also see How Can You Get Right With God? The suffering we experience we see as too harmful, the damage too extreme, to be repaired much less be used for something good. James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Bearing these facts in mind, sometimes God permits suffering to keep us from a greater suffering later or to preserve us for a greater good. Our unwillingness to face our pain is a far greater danger than the pain itself. Pain is our enemy. In fact, our suffering is a sign of God's love. Pain is not a danger to avoid. Isa. I remember asking God why He allowed pain and suffering on two occasions in my life. Thats why Christ died on the cross. Nevertheless, Satan was allowed access to the earth, and he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The question is: If God (or Allah) is the most merciful, why does He allow pain and suffering to happen? We love stories of other peoples suffering being used for good. Is Leonard Cohens Hallelujah a Christian Song? Before we go any further we need to define the difference between pain and suffering. Pain is part of the program. Suffering reveals the true worth of what many people are striving to buy and achieve. He created the earth, and all that is in it, to be in perfect harmony with His character and nature. Pain has a way of cracking open the heart, laying . Well we cant fully answer that question on this side of heaven. In the midst of suffering, facts and truth bring little comfort. Dont forget to share your thoughts! God uses suffering to expose the sin that clings so closely to our hearts. Why does God allow suffering? We are finite beings trying to grasp at an infinite God. Its also important that we recognize that our suffering doesnt happen without purpose. God took the initiative in giving His Son, Jesus Christ. So much of the world's suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee;he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. He might not keep usfrompain and suffering but He will keep us (hold us and care for us)inour pain and suffering. We, like Cain must battle our fear, insecurity, shame, resentment and anger. There are a few things that are important things on the topic of suffering we should know. When God created mankind, He intended for us to live in perfect harmony with Him, without pain, suffering or evil. There is no indication in Pauls description that God was chastising him for sin. When we face pain and suffering how we respond to it is a choice. Suffering will force us to move, we dont get to decide that. Its easy to see this in someone else life and doubt in our own life. If you want a larger picture about what the Bible says about pain you can read the verses here: Verses about pain. Suffering is in our lives because we are living in a broken world. The cause of suffering on earth When God created the earth, His intention was that it would be an extension of the peace and harmony of heaven. When you see someone who is clearly suffering but can still say: God is with Me. We might not like it, but its true. to learn more. Its pain that will grow you. What Does it Mean to Taste and See that the Lord is Good? Because He allows us to have free choiceto be humans and not preprogrammed robots. Yet, none of us is innocent. And the list goes on. God is still pursuing His people. If we seek God, He is faithful and He will provide. Help me get equipped andbe encouraged so I am empowered to know, live, and share my faith. What is needed is an experience of deliverance from affliction, comfort in grief and restoration in brokenness. The examples provided below dont constitute an exhaustive list for all possible purposes. When the dross floats to the surface, God skims it off; he purifies and refines us to be the radiant bride of Christ. @ 2021-2023 Copyright | All Right Reserved. Job was sharing his agony of spirit with the very God he could not understand. When someone in the church is in need, we are to come alongside them to help them through their suffering. First, we need to define the difference between pain and suffering. We can stand affliction better than we can stand prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. ~ D.L. God is not the creator of evil, pain, and suffering. I remember early in my life when my mother walked out on our family. This answers the question, 'Why didn't God create a world where people don't suffer?' "The answer is He did. Then Jesus dies on the cross, and in the mystery of faith, all the junk of the world, all the junk that's in our hearts, all the junk that's in our relationships, all of that junk dies with him. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his . We have all been the victims of the evil choices of others. The meaning of this verse makes it clear that pain and suffering have a way of bringing our strengths and weaknesses to the surface. We may hurt so badly that even those who try to bring comfort feel the pain. Which I think is why God rarely responds to our demands for answers when we are suffering. in a minute. Betrayal leaves many wondering if they will ever be whole again. Theres also pain and suffering that occurs from the consequences of our sin or when we are a victim of anothers sinful actions. God allows pain so people can serve others well. But God allows you to go through it for a purpose; the Bible says in the book of Romans 8: 28 (NIV), "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those . We think pain is the enemy, something to be avoided. God allows and sometimes even causes pain in our lives. The devil said to God, If You take all those possessions away from him, hell curse You and turn from You. But God replied, You can do anything to him, except you cant kill him, and then well see (Cf. These answers dont comfort and often arent even true. It's as much a cry as a question; a wound; a shout of betrayal of all the rules of life and fairness as you knew them. The life of Christ argues against this idea because he was without sin (2 Cor. Fallen is a theological term that refers to the worlds nature being contrary to what God intended because people, starting with Adam and Eve, chose sin rather than obedience. Thats why He rose from the dead. God's wrath is righteous. Think about your life. We too have played the role of sinner, harming others with the choices we make. Romans 8:28 echos this promise. Therefore He never gives us anything for which He does not provide what we need to deal with it. Job never asked why those things were happening to him. In other words, deny yourself what you want, and then follow me. God designed humans to love. Not only can pain and love co-exist but when you choose to love you risk pain. Its a common question that is used to argue that either God is not all-good or He is not all-powerful. Why do Christians experience pain? Why does God allow suffering and evil? Let me explain. Physical death is just the death of the body, but the spirit lives on. Its important that we recognize that suffering is a battleground. What Happens When You Come to the End of Yourself? What we go through might be because of what we choose, but God always has a good plan for us (see Jeremiah 29:11). Some suffering is due to our sinful and wrong choices, but some is due simply to the world being fallen. 10 To find out why God allows suffering, we need to think back to the time when suffering began. (Ask Dr. Stanley) In Touch Ministries 979K subscribers 502K views 10 years ago God has the power to prevent suffering and calamity--so why. He didnt avoid it, he used it. Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. Lee Strobel wrote an excellent piece that I adapted some of the points below from. All of our problems and our suffering, including death itself, are a result of mans rebellion against God. Last and most importantly, in God our pains and failures aren't meant to harm us. But the point is in our fallen world sometimes pain turns to suffering. Now you ask, why does God allow pain, suffering, and failure in our lives? Whatever the reasons behind pain and suffering, we all experience it because of sin having entered the world. A headache might tell you that you are dehydrated. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. Contact Us. Maybe we are thinking about pain in the wrong light. Which we will get to in just a minute. Adam and Eves bodies were created to be perfect in all ways no illness or injury. Sometimes the emotional or physical pain of suffering is prolonged. God can still use that for good, but I would hesitate to call suffering good. In contrast, in our personal lives, we cant stand even the smallest pain. Everything we see and experience, from illnesses and injuries to grievous injustices and moral decay, are the result of a fallen world. If you have been born into the family of God, you are a child of God. You can feel for them in that suffering situation. Believers are saved but not fully sanctified. Its temporary. But man disobeyed, and in came death and suffering. Anything at all. Satan did not call into question Jehovah's power. Philip Yancey in The Question that Never Goes Away. 52:13-53:12). Are you prepared to meet God? The Bible teaches that Satan is the author of sin. Because we have been comforted through the Word of God, we in turn may be able to comfort others. You are suffering due to a lack of faith. Find hope, peace, and security today. But love requires a choice. Paul the sufferer turns his pain into a Christ-exalting experience by showing Christ's all-sufficiency in his weakness. Conclusion. Jesus told his followers, "Go and make disciples of all nations.". Now you ask, why does God allow pain, suffering, and failure in our lives? Do Gods children experience pain? Pain, on the other hand, is good. We all too often try to understand and explain pain and suffering as being a consequence of our behavior and sometimes it is. The loss of mystery Our culture lost something vital through the Enlightenment, and that is a love of mystery, or the acceptance of concepts that are difficult to understand or explain. Jesus prayed that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You (John 17:21). Pain is a blessing. Pastor and author Alister Begg writes, How did Paul handle his sufferings and encourage the church to face theirs? Husband. God allows pain in the life of an unbeliever so that they will become a believer. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affliliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. Sign up for Rethink Updates and youll also get access to 3 exclusive articles! Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both." 3. God is working all things, even the bad things, for our benefit. For now, in this life, we see things imperfectly. Paradoxically, love is the greater reason, and God will allow His creation to go through anything in the name of love. Which is a selective reading of the Bible at its best. Pain is, in most cases, a good thing. Here's the unalterable fact: Pain is often a central part of God's purpose in this world. Suffering spurs us to action. Christians experience pain for the purposes of chastisement. His desire is that no one would perish, but that everyone would be reunited with Him (1 Peter 3:9). Let me offer three answers: 1) To let us see the gravity of our choices God didn't stop Adam from sinning (see Genesis 3:1-9 in context). A disease that ravages our body. The pain is a defense mechanism that keeps you from further harm. For now, we must hold onto the hope that our suffering is temporary. 2023 BGEA Pain, in part, is an opportunity to follow in the steps of Christ, imitate his righteousness, resolve, and faithfulness to the Father. Sometimes it's simply for his glory and our good. Jesus is the prime example of this. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. But hopefully this has helped you understand why suffering exists and Gods response to our pain. Suffering carries a message of mystery. We might not like the pain, but it does serve a purpose. 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