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*God Allows Suffering
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#1 Suffering comes with the freedom to choose! 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, & that a world without choise would be worse.
#2 We have a conscience. We hate pain, especially in those we love. Yet without discomfort, the sick wouldn't go to a doctor. Worn out bodies wouldn't get rest. Criminals wouldn't fear the law & children would laugh at correction.
#3 Suffering reveals what is in our hearts. Often occures at the hand of others. But it has a way of reveling what is in our hearts. Capabilities for love, mercy, anger, envy, & pride can lie dormant. Strength of character is shown not when all is well, but in the presence of human pain & suffering. (Job 42:1-17; Rom 5:3-5; James 1: 2-5; 1 Pet 1:6-8).
#4 Suffering takes us to the edge of eternity. 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 treshold of eternity, then the most fortunate people are those who discover, thru suffering, that this life is not all what we have to live for. Those who find them selves & their eternal God thru suffering have not wasted their pain. They are the ones who will discover to their own unending joy, why Jesus said "Blessed are the poor in sprit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". (Matt 5:1-12)
#5 Pain loosens our grip on this life. In time, our work & opinions are sought lass & less. Our bodies become worse for wear plus sleep becomes difficult. Each new pain makes the world less inviting & the next life more appealing. In its own way, pain paves a way for a gracious death. (Eccl 12:1-14)
#6 Gives opportunity to trust God. According to the Bible, Job lost his family, his wealth, & his health. Thru it all, God never told him why it was happening. & when He did speak, He did not reveal the archenemy Satan, had challenged Job's motives for serving God. Job was left to conclude that if God had the power & wisdom to creat this physical universe, their was reason to trust the same God in times of suffering!
#7 God suffers with us in our suffering. No one has suffered more than one who stretched out His arms & died. See 1 Pet 2:21)
#8 Gods comfort is greater than our suffering. See 2 Cor 12: 9-10. Here, Paul learned that he would rather be with Christ in suffering than without Christ in good health & pleasant circumstances.
#9 In times of crisis, we find one another. No one would choose pain & suffering but when it does come, we discover Gods comfort in our own sufferings and our capacity to comfort others is increased. 2 Cor 1:3 & 4
#10 God can turn suffering around for our good. This truth is seen in many examples in the Bible. One is Joseph who through rejection, betrayal, enslavement, & wrongfull imprisonment, was able to say, "You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good". (Gen 50:20)
When everything in us screams at the heavens for allowing suffering, we have reason to look at the eternal outcome & joy of Jesus who in His own suffering on an exectioner's cross, cried "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matt 27:46)
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