Suffering is a part of life, even for places where no human life is lost. There are places where the only suffering is from extreme heat or cold, or where there is no air conditioning or refrigeration. These places are called thermal depots or heat baths, because they promote health by coolness.
Many people find godly suffering ethereal and transcendent, like a religious experience. Others see it as merely human and tiresome, like watching an episode of The Walking Dead every week.
This article will talk about why God allows suffering, whether it be natural or man-made. First, we will look at some basic concepts that can help us understand why God permits suffering in the first place. We will also look at some basic concepts that can help us turn pain into strength and how to do this physically and spiritually.
Contents:
God is all-powerful
Even though God is all-powerful, he allows suffering in the world for a reason. This makes sense if you think about it.
If God was all-powerful, he would never allow anything to happen to anyone. If he wanted someone to suffer, he could have made that person die in a car accident, for example.
God is not weak. He is very powerful and should never allow anything to happen to anyone, but He does. This is why we have suffering: To remind us of his power and His love for us.
We can be like God and never allow anything to touch us, but we all have the ability to choose whether or not we will be like Him and suffer from the pain of life.
God allows some suffering for a greater good
Many people believe that suffering is wrong and should be eliminated, but the truth is that most people have never observed or heard about anyone whose life has been neglected or destroyed that they would feel anything other than sympathy for the person or persons involved.
If we truly cared about others, we would treat them with compassion and concern. We do things in our daily lives that remind us of how much we care, but our efforts in the church are rare and sporadic at best.
The Bible says that suffering is a sign of God’s righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:3-10). But why does he allow some suffering?
Some suffering is necessary to determine whether someone belongs in his kingdom. In his book The Secret History of the United States Congress, Michael Ruse explains that there are three kinds of politicians: those who suffer from pain, those who cause pain, and those who enable others to suffer. He calls these types “sufferers in office.
God does not allow suffering
Ever since the beginning, God has allowed some people to suffer because He loves them. He knows they are His best choice, and He wants to give them His all.
God allows suffering for a few different reasons. One is so that we can learn lessons from Him about what we deserve and/or fail at on earth. Another is so that we can learn what true suffering is and how to deal with it.
Suffering is not for everyone. It isn’t always fair, isn’t always overused, and definitely isn’t a requirement for being God.
God cannot stop all suffering
It is true that at times in history there have been great moments when God was believed to have allowed very high quality of suffering. These seem to occur in stories where good people do not suffer, and where good people are the main characters.
In stories where good people face severe suffering, it may be easier for him to show his love by allowing a little bit of pain for a moment. In these cases, he must be very strong because there are so many bad things in the world!
But there is a reason that God does not allow all suffering, and that is because it obscures his glory. When he allows some suffering, it alerts us to his value and greatness! It reminds us of how powerful he is and how little we should rely on ourselves to endure pain.
God knows every heart and every situation, and he knows which ones need to experience what he has for an eternal reward.
There is some evil in the world
While it is important to believe in a god who doesn’t allow suffering, many see the Bible as stating that there are evil people in the world.
The Bible states that there are evil people living today (1 Thess. 5:6, 9). It also states that this is not new, but has been happening for all along (1 Cor. 6:11-13).
The New Testament also states that there are evil people in the world (1 Tim. 4:3; 6:9) and warns against their influence (1 Tim. 2:14).
How can we know whether a person or entity is good or evil? According to the Bible, we cannot tell! We must rely on our own discernment and study of who they are to determine whether they are good or evil.
The Old Testament describes certain individuals as “good” (Genesis 18:20; 22:8; Exod. 13:20), while others as “evil” (Exod. 20:7; Deut 4:22). This was done to show who was righteous and wicked in those days.
We do not know what lies ahead
It is important to remember that while we are in the midst of suffering, God is still working through us. Even when He is not, we can confess His name and ask for his help.
When we confess His name and ask for His help during times of suffering, He definitely answers our prayers.
But He does not always answer ours. We don’t have to agree with what happens to us, and we can change our minds about things if we take the time to listen to His voice.
It’s important to know that while God allows some suffering, He does not allow everything that seems like suffering. Many people suffer from severe pain every day, but they do not seem to have enough time or energy to pray or think about what they are going through with their situation.
It’s important to know that while God allows some suffering, He does not allow everything that seems like suffering.
Faith means suffering
Faith is not only the foundation of religious belief, but of complete identity. Without faith in yourself and in your God, you’re left with only the suffering that faith can allow you to endure.
There are many ways to look at pain and suffering. You can choose to ignore or minimize it, or even find joy in it. But regardless of your perception of suffering, there is one thing that cannot be erased: your faith in God.
For people who suffer from severe pain and who don’t believe they deserve any relief, meeting with a pain management doctor can be a step forward in their recovery. However, this is not a recommended method because it often doesn’t provide any relief before long time spent with ineffective drugs takes its toll on the body.
It is also important to note that neither drug treatments nor doctors’ visits can eliminate the suffering that pain causes.
Suffering can lead to spiritual growth
Sometimes suffering is meant to be a sign that something is wrong, and needs to be addressed. Other times, suffering is a way for God to teach His people.
In either case, there are lessons we can learn from suffering.
Suffering can help us learn how to deal with pain. When we suffer, but know that it is for our good, we can accept it more readily. We may even begin to believe in the biblical doctrine of grace, where God allows suffering so that his people can grow in love and faith.
We may also realize that our pain isn’t as bad as we think it is. By being reminded of what pain feels like every minute of every day, we may realize just how little we really suffer. This can help us gain a better understanding of how little things matter when you are in pain.