Why God Allows Suffering? (16)

Spiritual lessons from suffering

We can draw a spiritual parallel to Dr. Brand's discovery. Some suffering is the result of our own sins or foolishness. Sometimes the result is the automatic trigger of negative and painful consequences in our bodies. God sometimes allows such discomfort—and suffering—to cause us to pay attention to what we are doing and change our behavior, attitude or convictions.

Much mental and physical pain is the result of breaking God's commandments, knowingly or unknowingly. As a psychiatrist said, "Half the people who go to clinics with physical complaints are really saying, My life hurts" (ibid., p. 251).

Sometimes we sin but we do not immediately hurt. God may bring the sin to our attention by allowing a subsequent painful trial. "The Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts" (Hebrews:12:6, NRSV). The Scriptures contain many examples of men and women whose lives demonstrated this principle.

In allowing discomfort to bring mistakes and character flaws to our attention, God is no different from any other loving parent. Fathers and mothers who love their children invest time and effort teaching and enforcing lessons for their good. God does the same because He wants us to learn (Hebrews:12:5-11





).

God sometimes allows us to suffer so we will learn right from wrong and will realize our dependence on Him and His instruction. Therefore we should not be surprised when life, even for a Christian, includes stress and trials (1 Peter:4:12-13
).

In other circumstances suffering may occur not as a result of sin per se, but because God sees a need to refine and strengthen a part of our character. As a muscle will atrophy without use, so can our faith and character atrophy if not properly exercised.

Peter writes of the value of trials when he explains: "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed" (1 Peter:1:6-7
, NIV).

Learning to depend on God

We should realize that, although God allows trials, He is not indifferent to us when they come. God is a Father. Even more than a loving human father, He finds no joy in seeing His children in pain. How does He feel toward us at such times? "You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon him, because you are his personal concern" (1 Peter:5:7, New Testament in Modern English). These words let us know that sometimes we must depend entirely on God for the strength to endure.

When we hurt, God wants us to come to Him. He promises He will help us when we do. Paul wrote that God comforts the downcast (2 Corinthians:7:6), but we must ask Him for that help. He promises that He will not allow us to be tested beyond our limits and will provide us either with the relief or the strength we need to endure (1 Corinthians:10:13). We need to take God at His word and go to Him with this promise, especially when we sense we are near our breaking point.

We need to realize that God often protects those who seek Him: "If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand" (Psalm:37:23-24
, NIV).

Read the whole of Psalm 91 with this in mind. We should ask God to protect us and our loved ones. He hears the prayers of the righteous (James:5:16; 1 Peter:3:12), and He does protect and bless His people. However, the Bible also makes it clear that God will allow difficult and hurtful circumstances to befall us at times within limits. All of His faithful servants had to endure trials. When those come, we should ask Him to shelter us from suffering that exceeds our ability to endure and to give us the strength to endure what we must.

God remains in control

Studies have shown that a person's ability to endure pain is aided by a sense of control over it. We should do what we can to ease, manage and gain control over our suffering. Then we can realize we are not pawns subjected to the whim of pain, and we can choose to retain control over our attitudes and our responses to our pain.

As God's servants we must learn that ultimately God is in control, and He is merciful. He is willing and able to deliver us. His ears are open to our prayers (1 Peter:3:12).

But He expects us to rely on His judgment and timing and trust Him implicitly. "We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia," wrote Paul. "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us" (2 Corinthians:1:8-10

, NIV).

To be cont'd.

God bless you.