Trying to keep up with "life" in general is difficult at best. Or is it just me? Sometimes I actually have time to browse good blogs and find things to share.
Marie, over at Theo Geek, has posted an excellent article by Lucy Ann Moll, titled, Why God Allows Pain. Here is an excerpt:
The No. 1 question? If God can prevent suffering yet permits it, is he truly good? In short, the answer is “yes.” The secular worldview holds that seeking pleasure is the goal of this life, so suffering is bad for it is painful. Do anything to get pleasure! In contrast, the Christian worldview sees suffering as positive for through it we become more like Christ, the goal of his disciples. Our suffering is for our ultimate good.
In 1 Peter 1:6‐7 says, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Lucy continues later with:
What I’ve concluded from the book of Job is suffering happens to everyone, the godly and the ungodly. Suffering is a fact in our fallen world. Just because one lives a holy life doesn’t mean she can avoid suffering. In fact, suffering is probably more likely. Suffering doesn’t often make sense. It is painful.
You will want to check out the whole article which is extremely encouraging to those who are suffering and to those whom we come alongside who are suffering. Doesn't this include all of us?
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4 comments:
Suffering and pain are not only inevitable, but necessary to our growth! Thank you for this excellent article, Jill!
Thank you, Cherry. I do not think we understand that pain is necessary until we can surrender it to the LORD~~perhaps only when all we can do is give up because there is nothing else we can do. This is when the LORD can begin to change us even when our circumstances do not change. Praise God! for He never leaves us nor forsakes us!
Glad you liked it, Jill. Lucy is also a biblical counselor, and I've found that she posts many helpful, practical articles from a very biblical perspective.
I'm currently reading Ed Welch's "Depression: A Stubborn Darkness" and he mentions how those of an earlier generation, ie pre-WWII, better saw the value and lessons that could be learned through suffering, and it's really the younger generation who now seeks to flee, avoid, or medicate any form of pain or suffering at all costs. Of course it's never pleasant, but without adversity we'd never grow!
Thank you, Marie, for posting concerning past generations and how "life" was handled. It is so different today and to all of our detriment.
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