Wednesday, March 25, 2009

"Suffering"

It is hard for us to realize that suffering is a great strengthen tool. That's so difficult for many to understand especially when we see a child with leukemia that will live a short and painful life. When the little ones suffers, it tugs at our hearts as we realize they did nothing to deserve such agony. People question God and why He would allow this to happen. I know it breaks my heart to see a little child suffer and I know it would be intensified if it were my own. My heart goes out to parents that have children living such short lives or difficult health issues. But we need to move beyond this and look at things differently, from God's perspective.
Paul speaks of the whole world suffering and it suffers not of its own will but because of God who subjected it to suffering (Rom. 8:18-22). It all will be changed when the children of God will be revealed openly to all. But until that time, there will be suffering in this world as a reminder of the awful stain and horror of sin. These little children are born into such devastating diseases all because of man's wickedness. It was the curse that was brought on by man's rebellion against the God who only wanted to love. All creation suffers because of sin in the world.
What is this suffering for? To teach us compassion. It helps us see the pain in the lives of other families to reach out to them. It brands our self-serving lives to be more others serving! Let their hurts and cries turn our eyes away from our selfish little world to reaching out with the cause and gospel of Jesus Christ. It is through all this that we are reminded of the judgment which we all sit under and the debt we owe to God and the cost of His Son. Jesus our Lord suffered and gained from it (Heb. 5:7-8).
Suffering helps people share in the good things together. People grow in strength through suffering and learn how to be compassionate through it all. When pain comes forcing its way into our lives uninvited and we cannot do anything to resist it, it becomes a great tool to teach us if we will allow it. The suffering in life wants to be lord over us but God can make our suffering to be a servant! If God allows it to come into our lives then good can come from it (Rom. 8:28). So many go about life, just existing, never concerned for others or wants to be bothered with others until one day some type of suffering hits us personally. It may be through a child, a grandchild or a mate. It begins to change the way we think about ourselves and God. It takes us to prayer, which many may have taken little time to do. It takes to a new awareness about what life is all about. It helps us see our own vulnerabilities and weaknesses as we have paraded in life like we are going to live here forever. It all shows us the need for God and His Son. Suffering is difficult but that pain can make us serve the Lord in ways we never thought.

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