Thoughts on Pain and Suffering

                These past few days I’ve been thinking about suffering here on earth. Suffering is a big reason that people won’t believe in God. They say, “How can an all loving God let us suffer?” It’s not God who lets us suffer. It’s us who lets us suffer. It’s because we turned our backs on God that we suffer. In the beginning God made a perfect world with no pain or suffering. Everything was good. But then Eve turned her back on God and did the one thing He said not to do. She ate the apple. That’s when sin came into the world. If she hadn’t eaten the apple, we might be living in a perfect world.

                If we look around the world today, we see famine and poverty in Africa, death in the Middle East, and people in Tibet who feel the only way to get people to notice what’s going on over there is to set themselves on fire. That is a world full of suffering. In a way it’s our fault that all these things are happening. If we actually followed what Jesus taught us, there wouldn’t be as much suffering in world as there is now. Matthew 19:21 says this, “Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’" If everyone who claims to follow Jesus did this, we would have a really good chance of eliminating all the suffering in Africa from famine and poverty. Not everything can be fixed by giving things away though. All over Africa there are people who want to control everything. They won’t let anyone have food or water. If we do what Jesus called us to do in Matthew 28:19, 20 and in Mark 12:31, there wouldn’t be people like that. Instead there would be people who loved everyone so much that they refused to eat so others could. There would also be no more terrorist killing people in the Middle East. The hatred they have for people that don’t believe what they believe would be gone. In its place would be a love so great that they would lay down their lives for others instead of killing them. The people in Tibet would no longer have to set themselves on fire to get people to notice what’s going on there because what’s going on there wouldn’t be going on. There would be no need for people to rule over each other because there would be nobody breaking the laws. Pain and suffering would be minimal because we would all have faith in and love God. Romans 8:28 says this, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
                In America there is a different kind of pain and suffering going on. It isn’t so much as physical, but mental. Everywhere you look here, you see depressed people. People that feel like they aren’t loved enough to be alive so they kill themselves. People who think that they aren’t attractive enough so they starve themselves or force themselves to through up their food. That is what’s going on in America. It breaks my heart to see all this going on because it shouldn’t be. If we loved our neighbors, people wouldn’t feel unloved; they wouldn’t feel the need to starve themselves. The one thing that we as humans need is love. Without love our whole life means nothing. But thank goodness that God is love. God can take our pain and suffering away because He’s experienced it. His son died on the cross so that we would know that He loves us. Shouldn’t we love everyone this much too? We should be so filled with love that pain and suffering wouldn’t be able to survive anymore. This is what Jesus called us to do. To love one another so much that there would be no more need to sin because love would fill its place. And since God is love, He would be the one that satisfies us. There would be no need for the temporary pleasure of sin because God would be everywhere around us, satisfy our souls.
                I’m going to leave you with a few Bible verses that talk about pain and suffering. I hope these inspire you as much as they inspire me.
-Psalm 23:4:”Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
   for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff,
   they comfort me.”
-John 16:33:“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
-Revelations 21:4:“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
-Psalm 73:23-24, 26:”Yet I am always with you; You hold me by my right hand.  You guide me with Your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory…My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
-Romans 8:18:”I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
When you have the time, look up the song Blessings by Laura Story. It is a really great song.

As you good about your daily lives, remember to love everyone. Sometimes all someone needs is to feel loved. Until next time, good bye and God bless!