Suffering

At times in our lives when we suffer we are forced to come to grips with the reality that we cannot control everything. This happens whether we bring the suffering upon ourselves and we cannot control the punishment or if suffering comes to us and we cannot control the cause. Suffering causes many to blame God for their ills or pains as if He is somehow personally responsible for all the bad that happens in the world. Stop me if you have heard this: "how could God allow this to happen..." Many things happen in our lives that God allows.

Why is it that only when we are negatively impacted do we ask why God let this event happen? How bout these questions- Why does God let man sin? Why does God help man when man sins? Why does God care about me? Why does God take care of all my needs? Why does every good and perfect thing come from God?

God allows us to be free moral agents- to make our own decisions. The problem with that is He also allows us to have our own consequences. When we sin there are consequences to our actions. If we shoot someone they may die. God allows us a choice. Suffering is in this world by and large because of choice. People kill, hurt, and destroy lives everyday. The suffering that comes upon each of us may not be linked to anything we have done but very well may be linked to the sins of others.

Thanks be to God that there is a place we can look forward to where suffering is gone once and for all. In Revelation 21:4- "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Let us all look forward to that day realizing that we are just sojouners here in this world and there is a better day that awaits the faithful of God.