Posted on 01/29/2021 7:14:54 PM PST by OneVike
“Why didn’t God just create us so that we would never have to experience pain, suffering, or sadness?”
After all, God has the power to make the world free of evil, yet He chose instead to make us creatures with free will. Thus, free will was the door left open for the possibility of evil entering our lives.
Then one must ask, "What's the purpose of pain, suffering? Why does God allow humans, who were made in His image, to live on a planet where evil abounds?"
Well, God could have made us perfect without the ability to sin, and we would have never known pain and suffering. Instead of being as we are, we would then be like Chatty Cathy dolls. Just pull the string and watch us do and say whatever we were programmed. Is that the kind of life you would wish to live? Well, obviously God did not think so either. That’s the short answer to why God created us with free will.
With free will came the possibility that Adam and Eve might disobey God of their own volition and partake of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Well, thanks to some coaxing from Satan, Eve ate the fruit and offered some to Adam. The first two humans that God created exercised the right of choice that God had given them. Because they didn’t obey God’s command, sin entered the universe and that sin was handed down to every human who was born of man. All of us, believers and non-believers alike, wrestle with the daily struggles of the “Adam and Eve” within us.
Christ died on the cross so that, if we believe in Him, we can have eternal life. However, just because we gave our life to Christ, does not mean we are immunized from the pain and suffering of this world. This is why so many Christians inevitably ask the question, “Why am I suffering God? Why do my loved ones suffer?” What if on the day we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we were given God’s total and complete protection, so nothing bad ever happened to us again?
“Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face. Job 1:9-11Can you imagine what would happen if God did put a hedge about us on every side? Would not the people of the world who do not know Christ, say:
“So what, that you love God. Anybody would love God if He protected them the way He does you. I’m not impressed. Your God doesn’t offer me anything; I live in the real world.”
What if those who suffer, saw the way we dealt with pain, suffering, and disappointment? This is not why God allows tragedy and mishaps to come upon Christians, but as a Christian, we should take our tragedies and use them as an example of how our Father in heaven gives us the ability to live beyond our sufferings and disappointments of life. His loving mercy allows us to be free enough to learn and grow through our trials and tribulations, like the apostles did.
When I go through trials and tribulations, I try to think of someone I know who is going through worse things, and I consider how they deal with it. For me I don't have to look too far, because my wife is a paraplegic confined to a wheelchair. She has been in one since 9:10 pm Mountain time October 26, 1987. See, I know because we were in the same car that went off a 35 foot embankment. The driver died, a girl lost the use of her arm, and my wife ended up in a wheelchair.
The car we were in. Click the image if you
wish to read what I wrote about the accident
Unlike my wife, I walked away from the accident. The accident happens quite a few years before we both gave our lives to Christ, but she still has many trials and tribulations related to the accident. Seeing her dealing with the consequences of our drunken road trip gives me the strength to get through difficult times in my life. Seeing her go through things, reminds me daily that but for the grace of God there go I.
Unlike my wife and I, the Apostles did not go through trials and tribulations because of the consequences of their sins. Their trials and tribulations came because of who they followed, Christ Jesus. One day Peter and John were flogged and ordered not to speak in the name of Jesus. When they were released, they considered it worthy to be able to suffer for the name of Christ. (Acts 5:40-42) They said this because they were told by Jesus,
"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
James tells us that we should consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance (James 1:2-4). These and other passages describe rejoicing, not in spite of the suffering, but because of it. Remember what Paul says about not losing heart over the fact that our flesh is decaying with age and infirmities:
“because our trials will renew our spirit daily…………for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal,” 2 Cor 4:16-18.
A few short paragraphs later, Paul described the many trials and tribulations he went through. He endured imprisonments, beatings with whips and rods, he was stoned, not once but three times, and left for dead. Three times he was shipwrecked; threatened by robbers, Gentiles and Jews; attacked by wild animals; bitten by a poisonous snake; left cold, hungry, and thirsty; and suffered many other hardships for the Gospel of Christ. (2 Cor 11:23-27) Paul finished well.
People observed Paul’s faith in God as persistent, consistent, and profound. Paul was the greatest and most successful evangelical missionary preacher the world had ever seen. It was his suffering along with that of the other apostles that eventually changed an empire. Tertullian said that,“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
It's through times of struggle and hardships that we can shine the brightest and reach more of the lost if we react to our pain and suffering like Christ did. Like many, most of my suffering comes from my own selfish desires to live my life my way, instead of His way. I feel unworthy to complain about the trials and tribulations I face because of my sins. Yet, I know that regardless of the reason for my trials, He is there for me, and will give me comfort in my time of need. If one day I am honored to suffer for Him, then I will proudly stand tall and walk the walk many did before I came.
Use the comfort you get from God in your suffering as training so you might comfort others. Teach those who don’t know the Lord to lean on Him in their suffering by leaning on Him in yours. Show them how you love and trust Him. We must willingly approach our infirmities and hardships, knowing that we hold a greater prize before us after this life than this world can ever offer. That is what we have to teach the world. So ask not why you suffer, but praise God for the chance to shine and be an example as our Lord was for us.
I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the lord Jesus Christ.
God knows what time I will wake up on 2/24/2024.
As a kid, I grew up in Germany during the cold War. I remember East Berlin and the trials and tribulations the oppressed went through. They overcame many challenges and we have yet to see anything close to their ordeal. An Irish song. “Come by the Hills” has a lyric, “The past has been lost, and the future is yet to be won, and the cares of tomorrow can wait till this day is done.” We will persevere with God’s grace and divine mercy. We have hope, simple as that.
Not being anywhere nearly as religious as I wish I were and ought to be, I simply cannot comprehend how our Lord could sacrifice his dutiful servant President Donald J. Trump . . .
Moreover, I am at a lost to accept how God allowed all of President Trump’s diligent work on behalf of making lives better for Christians and Jews, etc., to be unraveled by the DemonRATS.
Two key examples are how the historic peace deals in the Middle East are now in jeopardy with the Iran-friendly regime now in power;
and as we marked today’s March for Life, more innocent unborn life will now be slaughtered!!!
Biteme IIRC has already revoked PDJT’s Mexico City policy.
Why, indeed, can a merciful benevolent deity condemn his most devout followers to be so cruelly persecuted anew, especially when they had just found thee perfect leader to protect their rights and freedoms????!!!!
This is an interesting question that only someone who has been through suffering with God’s help can answer.
Many who are in heaven who never had a chance to live life and suffer through it I’m sure would like to know.
I wish I could here it with the music
You are right about our trials in America, they just begun, but unless christ returns we will persevere
Satan is the “god of this world” temporarily
2 Corinthians 4:3-4
His servants do his bidding
They prosper in their evil for a short while
Appreciate your keen insight.
Hopefully, as you write, Satan’s current rule will be temporary and their evil will only prosper for a short while.
President Trump 2024!!!
The enemy while defeated at the Cross is bound for 1000 years when Christ returns - Revelation 19 I think
Tell me, how many people do you know truly try to stop the evils of abortion in America? Not even 99% of Christians ever speak out publicly against it.
To God, this is America’s sin. We perpetuated it, we perfected it, and we use our tax dollars to force other countries into allowing it or we will not give them any.
No matter how good our President was, too many on our side wanted us to fail. Don’t blame God, blame all those so-called Republicans who never lifted a finger to help him.
We could have used the Constitution, but hell, even in Idaho where Trump won almost 60% of the votes, not one Republican stood up in Congress to help.
No, it’s not God’s fault, He just gave us what the people we elected wanted, And it wasn’t Trump or success. They want globalism and all the perks the elected ones can get from it.
God knows that, even if we are too stubborn to admit it.
I can’t believe we are going thru this after 1500+ years of theology! When God intervenes directly in the acts of humans it is a complete erasure and start from square one event! In even simpler terms everybody dies and He begins again!
Oops I thought 20maybe and sure enough
Revelation 20:10
How indeed,,,
and to be Beaten by
A Senile, Pedophile Grifter!
.
God help us understand.
Sorry out and on phone
20:10 at end of 1000 years
Satan is bound for 1000 years prior then let loose for a short season then cast into the lake of fire in 20:10
“Tho He Slay me.
Yet Will I Trust Him!”
There's a MUCH bigger picture to consider.
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