When I hear some non believers talk about their struggles with God, one of the reasons for their struggle is suffering. One of the big questions is often,
“Why would God make people to suffer?”
photo credit: spoonman (creative commons)
If only they could see past that question. If only they could see the love and comfort God gives us during times of suffering. We don’t suffer because God makes us suffer. Does he allow it? Yes. I don’t have an answer to the why of many sufferings, but there are things I do know:
- God allows suffering because we live in a fallen world.
- During our suffering, we have an opportunity to draw closer to Him.
- Our suffering provides an opportunity to show the love of Christ to others.
- Suffering is always teaching us something.
Suffering sucks! I won’t deny it.
We suffer through losses of friends and family. We suffer through physical and emotional sickness. We suffer through actions of our past.
There are some physical things I’m suffering through right now, and I struggle with it. I have asked God why. I’ve gotten mad. I’ve yelled. I’ve cried. But then I get back on the train of trusting and ride with my God, because I know he is in control. I know regardless of what is going on in my life, He is still for me. If He is for us, who can be against us?
I’m choosing to trust that his plan is greater than mine, even though I don’t know what that plan is. Some days I screw that up and try to fix things myself. He’s quick to give me reminders that I’m trying to do it myself.
When we think about our sufferings, and not that they aren’t hard to go through, we haven’t even begun to suffer. I am reminded in God’s Word that if it weren’t for the suffering of Jesus Christ, our sufferings would be a million times worse. Not only would we suffer physically on this earth during our lifetimes, but we would do the same for eternity.
When I begin to think about the reality of that, my pain seems so much smaller. Joyce Meyer says,
“Suffering is inevitable, but God is not glorified through our suffering. He is glorified when we have a good attitude during our suffering – and He wants us to be victorious!
She’s right on. Suffering is going to happen. We live in a fallen world.
Can we choose to glorify God through these sufferings instead of glorifying those things we are suffering through?
Oh how I’m preaching this to myself! There are many days I still need an attitude adjustment and God is at work. I’m so grateful for his patience and grace when I’m playing victim rather than victor.
In case you didn’t know, we are loved by a pretty awesome God!
Question: Are you suffering through something right now and struggling to see God’s glory through the process? Share if you wish below…
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Joyce Meyer is a really inspiring woman isn’t she? I love her. I live with a long term illness which brings with it pain, discomfort, disabilities and other significant difficulties. For me, my understanding is that I only suffer if I judge my physical circumstances as something undesirable, not wanted, and resist them. When I am able to simply accept that things are just as they are, I don’t need to understand them, I just need to trust God and the process of life, my suffering diminishes. I’ve also found that if I thank God for everything in my life, just as it is, and send love to the situations and people I am struggling with, I change and things change. It’s not easy and it’s been a real learning curve for me but developing this illness has changed my mind and heart about a lot of things, and for that change, I am eternally grateful.
Love your outlook Emma. Praying healing over your body and circumstances in the mighty name of Jesus!
Thank you. ♥
Great reminder at the perfect time. God is pretty amazing. Love You!!