Why Does God allow Suffering?
Why Suffering?
18 For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory that is about to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 LEB
We could fill a Library with books about the question of suffering. Why there is suffering in the world at all has occupied better minds than mine through the ages. People tend to want to blame God, but to me it seems to be more about cause and effect than anything else. But that isn't really what I'm addressing tonight. We're talking about why do Christians suffer? Why does God allow his own children (often through no fault of their own) to go through terrible, debilitating trouble?
There comes a time to take a realistic look at things and decide where our focus should be. Should we keep our eyes on the world to come or do we cast our lot on what we can accumulate here and now? In weighing these two options the sensible person can come but to one conclusion, the scale clearly tilts in favor of eternity. The eternal weight of glory is far greater than anything this life has to offer. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" Romans 8:18
When we examine life in the light of the Word of God we begin to see things in a different way. It is logical if you think about it, in order to make any sense of suffering we must separate the things that are temporary like physical pain and loss, from the things that are lasting.
When we step into eternity the heartache, the disappointment, the pain we suffer, will not seem important. Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that "our light and momentary troubles are working for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all". When considering his own problems he said in Philippians 3:7 "I consider them rubbish". That seems a bit trite to me, but I suppose he was simply saying that he wasn't worried about what or why he was suffering.
I remember small disappointments I had as a child and hurt feelings that came my way. Looking back these things seem trivial and almost silly to me now. (What WAS I thinking?) So it will be when we look back from a heavenly prospective.
In 1 Peter 1:6 we are told that we can rejoice in trouble "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief of all kinds.": Peter was saying to "keep our eyes on the prize" so to speak.
But our pain demands our attention, it takes center place, we forget the future, we need help NOW!!!! We humans tend to live in the moment. The fact that Romans 5:13 tells us to "rejoice in suffering" makes no sense to us. But the Spirit-inspired writers of the Bible saw things through different eyes, they knew the end of the story. Tim Stafford says "This is why the Scripture can seem so blithely and irritatingly out of touch with reality, brushing past huge philosophical problems and personal agony. But that is just how it is when you are looking back from the end. Perspective changes everything."
2 Corinthians 4: 16-17 says "Therefore we do not lose heart, Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day., For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that out weights them all."
Something so wonderful is waiting for us at the end of our story that it will more than make up for every bit of hardship we ever experienced.
We must understand that the suffering we go through here is necessary to mold us into what we need to be in preparation for heaven. We are learning, getting stronger and growing as we go along. He is working out His own good plan in us. And we must remember that He promises never to give us more than we can handle by His grace. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." There are times when it seems that you cannot bear your burdens, but He helps us, sometimes in ways we do not understand or even see at the time, but in the end we find that all is well.
There is also a comforting verse in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that assures us that "God makes everything beautiful in his time." Time will also answer our questions. Romans 8:38 says "all things are working for our good" this is incomprehensible now but as things play out we will understand if not here, then in the life to come. We ask questions but "trust me" is often the only answer we receive.
Our troubles also give us a different prospective on Heaven. I have experienced this myself. Heaven is a lot nearer and dearer to me than it ever was before I got sick. How can we keep holding so tightly to this world when we are longing for another. We cease to feel comfortable or at home here anymore.
God wants to create in us an hunger for a world that will never perish. Do not think that suffering is a failure of God's plan? It is part of the curse that came on this world when mankind sinned and it will be redeemed and resolved in the fullness of time.
Do not fear, our suffering is not wasted, God brings good to us and glory to Himself. through our pain. Suffering lifts our hearts homeward. Jesus suffered for us to pay the price that we might be redeemed. He suffered more than anyone ever has. When we look at Jesus we have at least a partial answer to our question Why? We have to consider, and then ask Why Not? Romans 8:17 says "we share in his sufferings in order that we might share in his Glory.
My daughter and son-in-law are power-lifters, they are continually adding weight to their program as they become stronger, what is difficult to lift at one point is easy at another as their strength grows. This is true in the spiritual realm. What tries our faith at one point is no problem at another as we grow in faith and trust in God. I believe this is one of the primary reasons we experience hardship, it makes us stronger.
I was stricken with Guillain-Barre' syndrome in 2010, it is a very painful disease and it nearly took my life. I was in the hospital six months and came home in a wheelchair. Though I am once again walking I still struggle with the painful after effects of the disease. But one cannot let these things rule their life. I have to believe that my life is in God's hands and if He allows something like this to overtake us it must serve His good purpose.
There is a mysterious relationship between earth's suffering and Heaven's glory. The greatest suffering ever known on earth, occurred on the cross, and the greatest glory was given to Christ in response to it. He suffered "death on the cross....therefore God exalted Him to the highest place.": Philippians 2:8-9. The Lord inferred that if His followers were to share in His glory they must also share in His suffering.
Peter said we are to "Rejoice that we participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that we might be overjoyed when His glory is revealed". 1 Peter 4:13
"That I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death" (Philippians 3:10)
18 For I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory that is about to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18 LEB
We could fill a Library with books about the question of suffering. Why there is suffering in the world at all has occupied better minds than mine through the ages. People tend to want to blame God, but to me it seems to be more about cause and effect than anything else. But that isn't really what I'm addressing tonight. We're talking about why do Christians suffer? Why does God allow his own children (often through no fault of their own) to go through terrible, debilitating trouble?
There comes a time to take a realistic look at things and decide where our focus should be. Should we keep our eyes on the world to come or do we cast our lot on what we can accumulate here and now? In weighing these two options the sensible person can come but to one conclusion, the scale clearly tilts in favor of eternity. The eternal weight of glory is far greater than anything this life has to offer. "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" Romans 8:18
When we examine life in the light of the Word of God we begin to see things in a different way. It is logical if you think about it, in order to make any sense of suffering we must separate the things that are temporary like physical pain and loss, from the things that are lasting.
When we step into eternity the heartache, the disappointment, the pain we suffer, will not seem important. Paul told us in 2 Corinthians 4:17 that "our light and momentary troubles are working for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all". When considering his own problems he said in Philippians 3:7 "I consider them rubbish". That seems a bit trite to me, but I suppose he was simply saying that he wasn't worried about what or why he was suffering.
I remember small disappointments I had as a child and hurt feelings that came my way. Looking back these things seem trivial and almost silly to me now. (What WAS I thinking?) So it will be when we look back from a heavenly prospective.
In 1 Peter 1:6 we are told that we can rejoice in trouble "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer grief of all kinds.": Peter was saying to "keep our eyes on the prize" so to speak.
But our pain demands our attention, it takes center place, we forget the future, we need help NOW!!!! We humans tend to live in the moment. The fact that Romans 5:13 tells us to "rejoice in suffering" makes no sense to us. But the Spirit-inspired writers of the Bible saw things through different eyes, they knew the end of the story. Tim Stafford says "This is why the Scripture can seem so blithely and irritatingly out of touch with reality, brushing past huge philosophical problems and personal agony. But that is just how it is when you are looking back from the end. Perspective changes everything."
2 Corinthians 4: 16-17 says "Therefore we do not lose heart, Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day., For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that out weights them all."
Something so wonderful is waiting for us at the end of our story that it will more than make up for every bit of hardship we ever experienced.
We must understand that the suffering we go through here is necessary to mold us into what we need to be in preparation for heaven. We are learning, getting stronger and growing as we go along. He is working out His own good plan in us. And we must remember that He promises never to give us more than we can handle by His grace. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that "There hath no temptation taken you but such as man can bear: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation make also the way of escape, that ye may be able to endure it." There are times when it seems that you cannot bear your burdens, but He helps us, sometimes in ways we do not understand or even see at the time, but in the end we find that all is well.
There is also a comforting verse in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that assures us that "God makes everything beautiful in his time." Time will also answer our questions. Romans 8:38 says "all things are working for our good" this is incomprehensible now but as things play out we will understand if not here, then in the life to come. We ask questions but "trust me" is often the only answer we receive.
Our troubles also give us a different prospective on Heaven. I have experienced this myself. Heaven is a lot nearer and dearer to me than it ever was before I got sick. How can we keep holding so tightly to this world when we are longing for another. We cease to feel comfortable or at home here anymore.
God wants to create in us an hunger for a world that will never perish. Do not think that suffering is a failure of God's plan? It is part of the curse that came on this world when mankind sinned and it will be redeemed and resolved in the fullness of time.
Do not fear, our suffering is not wasted, God brings good to us and glory to Himself. through our pain. Suffering lifts our hearts homeward. Jesus suffered for us to pay the price that we might be redeemed. He suffered more than anyone ever has. When we look at Jesus we have at least a partial answer to our question Why? We have to consider, and then ask Why Not? Romans 8:17 says "we share in his sufferings in order that we might share in his Glory.
My daughter and son-in-law are power-lifters, they are continually adding weight to their program as they become stronger, what is difficult to lift at one point is easy at another as their strength grows. This is true in the spiritual realm. What tries our faith at one point is no problem at another as we grow in faith and trust in God. I believe this is one of the primary reasons we experience hardship, it makes us stronger.
I was stricken with Guillain-Barre' syndrome in 2010, it is a very painful disease and it nearly took my life. I was in the hospital six months and came home in a wheelchair. Though I am once again walking I still struggle with the painful after effects of the disease. But one cannot let these things rule their life. I have to believe that my life is in God's hands and if He allows something like this to overtake us it must serve His good purpose.
There is a mysterious relationship between earth's suffering and Heaven's glory. The greatest suffering ever known on earth, occurred on the cross, and the greatest glory was given to Christ in response to it. He suffered "death on the cross....therefore God exalted Him to the highest place.": Philippians 2:8-9. The Lord inferred that if His followers were to share in His glory they must also share in His suffering.
Peter said we are to "Rejoice that we participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that we might be overjoyed when His glory is revealed". 1 Peter 4:13
"That I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings; being made conformable to his death" (Philippians 3:10)
- If we "hang in there" through suffering it does something for our fellow Christians. God uses us as an example to others by our faithfulness. There is something about someone who is able to trust God even in the face of difficulty that speaks to people. We are soldiers of the cross and like any army we get wounded sometimes and often we see comrades fall in battle. But the fact that we can stand up again even in adversity speaks to the devotion we feel for our King. "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you will be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all stand" Ephesians 3:16.
- We must not glorify suffering, there no point in that. Problems are real and suffering hurts. It just that these things aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. When the Mother of James and John asked that they receive a high position in His Kingdom Jesus asked "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can" they answered. Then Jesus told them "You will indeed drink from my cup." He inferred that if they were to share in this glory they would also share in his suffering. This is why Peter could say that when we suffer, we should keep on rejoicing (1 Peter 4:13) "We rejoice on earth.....so that we may be overjoyed in Heaven.." Jireh's Girl