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Pain in Life: Is it God’s Desire?

Filed under: Blogging, Featured, Knowledge of God

One of the many basic questions on every human’s heart in life, especially as it relates to God, has to deal with pain and suffering. Why does God allow pain and suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? 

In this post I will attempt to give my thoughts on the issue. Feel free to respond if you agree, disagree, or have thoughts of your own about the issue that I did not address. 

In the Bible God does not give micro reasons to every little problem everyone may go through. Instead He gives macro reasons, the ultimate goal behind the situations that come up in life that cause us to face our humanity and face His divinity and make a choice.

I like how John Piper breaks it down…

God says things like:

• These bad things happened to you because I intend to work it together for your good (Romans 8).
• These happened so that you would rely more on God who raises the dead (2 Corinthians 1).
• This happened so that the gold and silver of your faith would be refined (1 Peter 1).
• This thorn is so that the power of Christ would be magnified in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12).

A Vision for Fullness
We must have a vision for fullness, fullness in body, soul and spirit. God is wanting a pure and spotless bride; a mature bride who He is going to set apart fully for Himself. His goal is to bring forth a people in the fullness of the gifts, fruit and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 5:48; Eph. 3:19; 4:11-24; 5:25-27; 1 Tim. 6:14) Not many people consider the quality of a person’s interior life as the measure of that person’s passion, or that person’s maturity in this life. We must cultivate a gentle and responsive heart to God.

In America we have such luxuries, and are in a place of comfort so often we forget what it feels like to experience physical discomforts on a daily basis. We often equate physical comfort to God’s blessing, and physical discomfort to something we must have done wrong to not receive God’s blessing. This is also what happened to Job. His family tried to convince Job that He must have done something to displease God for God to take away blessings from him and to allow Job to suffer through pain and loss.

The Bible warns us of a time coming when the love of many will grow cold (Matt. 24:12-13). As that day approaches we must learn how to deal with the issue of offense so that offenses in that day do not have the opportunity to take root in our heart. We must learn to deal with both the issue of being offended at God as well as the offense we often deal with towards other people. 

We Must Understand the Role of Suffering/Mistreatment in the Life of a Believer
God does not only allow mistreatment into our lives; He requires it. God is committed to conforming us to the image of His Son that Jesus might be the firstborn among many. The power of the resurrection life is given that we might endure suffering and trial in this age. The good news is that the “sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Rom. 8:18) 

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” – James 1:2-4 

Suffering, mistreatment and opposition are both the context and the fruit of a fallen world. Everyone suffers, is hurt, betrayed, abused, taken advantage of, oppressed. Yet, suffering works only on behalf of the redeemed. When a believer responds in meekness to mistreatment, it produces the fruit of wholeheartedness.

But Aren’t We Entitled to Unending Blessings?
We have had only one entitlement from the very beginning. We offended and rebelled against our most kind and gracious Maker. We are entitled to eternal condemnation. “But, God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ.” – Eph. 2:4-5

Why Does God Use Suffering/Mistreatment?

1. It exposes the great enemy of our soul – Pride manifesting in anger.
2. The place or occasion of severe testing or trial places pressures on the human heart that expose the fault lines of fear, anger, and pride underneath the surface.

Resisting anger and offense and embracing meekness in the midst of suffering and mistreatment is the only way through. We must receive these times we experience pain as an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to bring forth a greater work of sanctification.

An Eternal Perspective
This life will end for us after 70-80 years right? What’s next? Do we come back and start over and do it again until we get it right? Until we are able to live a life with no suffering and are perfect in every way? Of course not.

Our life truly begins upon death, and it is in a huge way directly related to how you spent your time, and how you responded to situations here on earth. When Christ who is our life appears, we will be with Him forever. So we must set our mind on things above, not on the things of this world (Col. 3:1-10). Get an eternal perspective, knowing that this life is just a vapor and will be here today and gone tomorrow. This is the promise that He has promised us… Eternal Life.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. 10 But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.” – 1 Peter 5:8-10

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