Loving parents long to protect their children from unnecessary
pain. But wise parents know the danger of over-protection. They know
that the freedom to choose is at the heart of what it means to be
human, and that a world without choice would be worse than a world
without pain. Worse yet would be a world populated by people who could
make wrong choices without feeling any pain. No one is more dangerous
than the liar, thief, or killer who doesn't feel the harm he is doing
to himself and to others
(Genesis 2:15-17).
We hate pain, especially in those we love. Yet without discomfort, the
sick wouldn't go to a doctor. Worn-out bodies would get no
rest. Criminals wouldn't fear the law. Children would laugh at
correction. Without pangs of conscience, the daily dissatisfaction of
boredom, or the empty longing for significance, people who are made to
find satisfaction in an eternal Father would settle for far less. The
example of Solomon, lured by pleasure and taught by his pain, shows us
that even the wisest among us tend to drift from good and from God
until arrested by the resulting pain of their own shortsighted choices
(Ecclesiastes 1-12;
Psalms 78:34-35;
Romans 3:10-18).
Suffering often occurs at the hand of others. But it has a way of
revealing what is in our own hearts. Capacities for love, mercy,
anger, envy, and pride can lie dormant until awakened by
circumstances. Strength and weakness of heart is found not when
everything is going our way but when flames of suffering and
temptation test the mettle of our character. As gold and silver are
refined by fire, and as coal needs time and pressure to become a
diamond, the human heart is revealed and developed by enduring the
pressure and heat of time and circumstance. Strength of character is
shown not when all is well with our world but in the presence of human
pain and suffering
(Job 42:1-17;
Romans 5:3-5;
James 1:2-5;
1 Peter 1:6-8).
If death is the end of everything, then a life filled with suffering
isn't fair. But if the end of this life brings us to the threshold of
eternity, then the most fortunate people in the universe are those who
discover, through suffering, that this life is not all we have to live
for. Those who find themselves and their eternal God through suffering
have not wasted their pain. They have let their poverty, grief, and
hunger drive them to the Lord of eternity. They are the ones who will
discover to their own unending joy why Jesus said, "Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
(Matthew 5:1-12;
Romans 8:18-19).
In time, our work and our opinions are sought less and less. Our
bodies become increasingly worse for the wear. Gradually they succumb
to inevitable obsolescence. Joints stiffen and ache. Eyes grow
dim. Digestion slows. Sleep becomes difficult. Problems loom larger
and larger while options narrow. Yet, if death is not the end but the
threshold of a new day, then the curse of old age is also a
blessing. Each new pain makes this world less inviting and the next
life more appealing. In its own way, pain paves the way for a graceful
departure
(Ecclesiastes 12:1-14).
The most famous sufferer of all time was a man named Job. According to
the Bible, Job lost his family to "a mighty wind," his wealth to war
and fire, and his health to painful boils. Through it all, God never
told Job why it was happening. As Job endured the accusations of his
friends, heaven remained silent. When God finally did speak, He did
not reveal that His archenemy Satan had challenged Job's motives for
serving God. Neither did the Lord apologize for allowing Satan to test
Job's devotion to God. Instead, God talked about mountain goats giving
birth, young lions on the hunt, and ravens in the nest. He cited the
behavior of the ostrich, the strength of the ox, and the stride of the
horse. He cited the wonders of the heavens, the marvels of the sea,
and the cycle of the seasons. Job was left to conclude that if God had
the power and wisdom to create this physical universe, there was
reason to trust that same God in times of suffering
(Job 1-42).
No one has suffered more than our Father in heaven. No one has paid
more dearly for the allowance of sin into the world. No one has so
continuously grieved over the pain of a race gone bad. No one has
suffered like the One who paid for our sin in the crucified body of
His own Son. No one has suffered more than the One who, when He
stretched out His arms and died, showed us how much He loved us. It is
this God who, in drawing us to Himself, asks us to trust Him when we
are suffering and when our own loved ones cry out in our presence
(1 Peter 2:21;
3:18;
4:1).
The apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord to take away an unidentified
source of suffering. But the Lord declined saying, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness."
"Therefore," said Paul, "most gladly I will rather boast in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak,
then I am strong"
(2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Paul learned that he would rather be with
Christ in suffering than without Christ in good health and pleasant
circumstances.
No one would choose pain and suffering. But when there is no choice,
there remains some consolation. Natural disasters and times of crisis
have a way of bringing us together. Hurricanes, fires, earthquakes,
riots, illnesses, and accidents all have a way of bringing us to our
senses. Suddenly we remember our own mortality and that people are
more important than things. We remember that we do need one another
and that, above all, we need God.
This truth is best seen in the many examples of the Bible. Through
Job's suffering we see a man who not only came to a deeper
understanding of God but who also became a source of encouragement for
people in every generation to follow. Through the rejection, betrayal,
enslavement, and wrongful imprisonment of a man named Joseph, we see
someone who eventually was able to say to those who had hurt him, "You
meant evil against me; but God meant it for good"
(Genesis 50:20).
You're not alone if the unfairness and suffering of life leaves you
unconvinced that a God in heaven cares for you. But consider again
the suffering of the One called by the prophet Isaiah, "a Man of
sorrows and acquainted with grief"
(Isaiah 53:3). Think about His slashed back, His bloodied forehead, His
nail-ripped hands and feet, His pierced side, His agony in the Garden,
and His pathetic cry of abandonment. Consider Christ's claim that He
was suffering not for His sins but for ours. To give us the freedom
to choose, He lets us suffer. But He Himself bore the ultimate
penalty and pain for all of our sins
(2 Corinthians 5:21;
1 Peter 2:24).
When you do see the reason for His suffering, keep in mind that the
Bible says Christ died to pay the price for our sins, and that those
who believe in their heart that God has raised Him from the dead will
be saved
(Romans 10:9-10).
The forgiveness and eternal life Christ has to offer is
not a reward for effort but a gift to all who, in light of the
evidence, put their trust in Him.
©1995 RBC Ministries--Grand Rapids, MI
49555 
Suffering Comes With The Freedom To Choose
Pain Can Warn Us Of Danger
Suffering Reveals What Is In Our Hearts
Suffering Takes Us To The Edge Of Eternity
Pain Loosens Our Grip On This Life
Suffering Gives Opportunity To Trust God
God Suffers With Us In Our Suffering
God's Comfort Is Greater Than Our Suffering
In Times Of Crisis, We Find One Another
Each time we discover God's comfort in our own suffering, our capacity
to help others is increased. This is what the apostle Paul had in mind
when he wrote, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us
in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are
in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted
by God"
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
God Can Turn Suffering Around For Our Good
When everything in us screams at the heavens for allowing suffering,
we have reason to look at the eternal outcome and joy of Jesus who in
His own suffering on an executioner's cross cried, "My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?"
(Matthew 27:46).
You're Not Alone
