If we believe that God is our Father who loves us, we must also believe that everything He does or allows is for our good. So, what is our good? Is it financial security? Jesus said, “Blessed are you poor.” Is it earthly happiness? Jesus said, “Blessed are you sorrowing.” Is it ease and health? St. Paul wrote, “I rejoice in my sufferings.”
As I see it, “good” is the salvation and sanctification of every person. What happens to us is intended for our growth in holiness and for our contribution to the holiness of others. More detail ... “Why this, specifically, for me, personally?” ... would not, in my opinion, make things any easier. The natural man has to die and be buried in order to be resurrected, and as Jesus showed us, dying hurts.
I was gonna thinka that! LOL!
Thanks, again, for helping me formulate ideas. Some days, “Dick and Jane” would defeat my efforts. :o|
Precisely. Which is why I have no problem with a "good" God allowing so much suffering in the world. He doesn't define "good" as "pain free" or "posh." We do that.
Francis Chan likes to take a long, long rope and paint the last 2 inches red and say, "If this rope is the span of your eternity, this red part is your life on earth. Why are you focused on the red part instead of the rest?"