Suffering? Don’t Give Up!
There is not a single person that has not endured human suffering. It seems that some people go through more than their share of suffering, but such is the normalcy of life. Many of us have witnessed someone cry out, “Why me, God!” And because of inadequate answers to their cry, human suffering wrecked their faith. These are real people needing real answers to real problems!
Suffering can bring feelings of hopelessness and despair.
God does not exempt us from the problems of human suffering simply because we are his children. How ironic it is to hear Christians express the opinion that we should be immune to pain or suffering. Yet, God does promise a way to endure and bear-up under troubles that drive us to the edge. During troubled hours, we can have hope. (2 Corinthians 3:12).
The world does not understand the meaning or the purpose of life. The world thinks that hedonism, which is, “The pursuit that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life” is the only way to live. Yet, Christians can be comforted and depend on God, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being;” (1 John 2:15). However, too often we hear the phrases, “Whatever makes me happy” or “whatever makes the majority happy” is the single pursuit of humanity. This and the world’s meaning of life brings a shallow definition of life and human suffering.
However, the Bible, the inspired word of God, teaches the true meaning of life. God said, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his command- ments: for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). The Bible affirms that as long as we follow Him, we will never, never be alone. First, we are not alone because Christians are to “Bear ye one another’s burdens, (Galatians 6:2). Secondly, we cannot be alone because the Great God in Heaven is the “Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4).
How glorious it is to have great support from Christians & God and such comfort in the holy scriptures when our faith is tried! We know that when our faith is tested by the world, we can be comforted that our triumphant victory over such things will be found as praise and honor and glory to Christ (1 Pet. 1:7). Also, prayer to God is a comforting time for Christians. It allows us all to know that someone is listening and cares for us. God has always been here for us and even though we may be tried or suffer in life, one glorious day “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain for the former things are passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)