Why must I suffer? I’m a good person; I’m a Christian; Why must I endure such trials? In my previous musings, I stated that the evil and suffering in this world are the result of Adam and Eve’s failure in the Garden of Eden as the result of Satan’s temptations and lies. If we accept that this evil – pain, suffering and death – is not from God, yet He “allows” it, then we must assume that it plays a part in his plan. And if his plan is the redemption of the entire world, then your suffering must play a part in your own redemption. Your pain actually serves a purpose. As C.S. Lewis once said, “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.” God is still loving and merciful even when we experience pain and suffering. Romans 8:28 states “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” There are MANY reasons God allows suffering in the world:
Suffering uncovers what is really inside of our hearts, breaks us of our pride, can deepen our desire for God, can mature us, can breed humility, could be a warning of something potentially worse, can jump start our prayer life, prompt a lost person to receive Christ, help deepen our trust in God, can connect us with other people, create an opportunity for witness, make us grateful for what we had or still have…
Observe the beauty and elegance of the legendary Japanese Katana. The completed sword started off as volcanic iron sand from river banks in the mountains of Japan. Only under tremendous heat and weeks of hammering does this masterpiece of metallurgy come to fruition. We, too, are being forged into masterpieces of form and function. Being a Christian does not guarantee us a life free from trouble but it does provide us a source of divine strength – His strength – to make it through the tough times. Like the Katana, we have been hardened and tempered to endure the clash of steel on steel intended to break us, but through our trials and through our faith, we are given the strength and flexibility to withstand the impact and overpower our enemies. Our battle scars bear witness to our struggles and stand as a testimony of God’s divine grace and intercession to our survivability.
The Apostle, James, wrote “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2-4) This “patience” he speaks of is probably better translated, perseverance or steadfastness. Remember, a faith never tested is a faith that can’t be trusted. When was the last time you went into combat with a weapon you have never fired? Christ himself assures us, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
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