Suffering…it’s a universal condition. None of us is exempt from it. We can’t buy our way out of it; we can’t control its timing. While in its grip, we often feel powerless.
As hard as it is to believe, suffering serves a great purpose in God’s Master Plan. The Bible tells us that all circumstance, good and bad, inherently works towards a favorable solution for God’s children:
Romans 8:28 KJV
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
As Satan schemes the supposed demise of man in these End Times, God is already sitting on his throne directing the Universe. He has already arranged for good to come of your suffering. “How”, you ask. Suffering is a means of strengthening one’s faith. It causes one to rely only upon God for comfort in adversity. Our family and friends may not understand our pain, but Our Heavenly Father does. As we reach out to him in dark times, our prayer life deepens and flourishes. We draw close to him and our relationship with him grows.
There unfolds a realization that true joy is found not in external circumstance, but within the intimacy of our relationship with Christ. Thus, we are able to endure adversity with a Christ-like attitude. Joy is present even in the midst of our hardship. The Apostles’ attitude during their imprisonment serves as a reminder of this:
Acts 16:25 KJV
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Suffering serves another positive purpose. As a result of it, we are often transformed into a beacons of God’s love and compassion. We serve as encouragers to others, including non-believers. When a non-believer sees evidence of a joyful Christian life, it will hopefully turn their heart towards faith in Christ.
We are told in The Bible that what we do for others is essentially being done for Christ himself. This means we are to serve others with the same attention we would give to Our Master.
Matthew 25:34-40 KJV
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Sadly, suffering is inescapable in this world. However, remember that in God’s Kingdom a blessed promise awaits each faithful Christian:
Revelation 21:4 KJV
And 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.
-Melanie DiLeo
Love it! Another point I found is when I first read Romans 8:18 "the suffering on Earth cannot be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us." <this to me showed me our perspective of time here on Earth is literally nothing by comparison. Eternity is not divisible by the biggest number we can fathom, let alone the little time our life represents. To give an example if one has 80 years of painful cancer, and gets to be with God forever. That will be LESS painful and more rewarding than a light breeze blowing in your eye for a brief second for 100 trillion dollars.