Introduction
Pain and suffering are fundamental to being human. Our entrance into this world comes by way of pain, fear, and panic during childbirth. Frequently, diseases, sickness, deformities, and many other ailments meet us soon after our exit from the womb. Some of us are even afflicted inside the womb by our mothers’ choices—drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, malnutrition, and also things like physical abuse.
Affliction pretty much starts immediately and continues throughout life. People will grow up with all sorts of issues, such as learning impediments, being born into broken homes, dealing with permanent diseases, absolute poverty, tyrannical governments, etc.
Suffering isn’t bound by location, ethnicity, or wealth. We all get dealt a handful of suffering—trials that continue throughout adulthood into our elder years
Its up to us to figure out what our response is during these times of suffering. How will we act towards God?
Incorrect heart towards God in trails
Blaming–It can be easy to blame God and project responsibility when we are afflicted. He is sovereign after all – isn’t he. If He wanted too He could blink an eye and poof our issues and suffering would disappear. Our thoughts and emotions surrounding the problems would vanish.
This kind of pointing the finger mindset can lead us to blaming Him for our problems. We live in a fallen world; this isn’t God’s home. This world is Satan’s home and it’s full of evil and pitfalls. God didn’t create a bunch of robots that are programmed to live out perfect lives. The fact is we’re in a battle of good and evil, and its our choice to seek God, love God, and keep his commandments. This life is a life of choosing—A life of freewill.
Our problems aren’t God’s fault: infants dying of disease, loved ones being killed, sons and daughters dying before us, broken bones, divorce, undesirable physical features, slow metabolisms, low IQs, and so on. Every single person has something “wrong” with them. No one is perfect. Placing responsibility on God isn’t a good disposition to have.
So what is our disposition? Are we going to blame God?
Ignoring–Our suffering can be so intense that we want nothing to do with God. It is a very dangerous place to be when we aren’t in fellowship with God—praying, reading our Bibles, attending church, or worse, not worshiping Him. Instead of turning toward the heavens, we can easily turn to addictions in attempts to fill that void and cover the suffering. Numbing our pain with drugs, alcohol, fornication, self-mutilation, tattoos, piercings, toxic relationships, toxic attention, overeating, under eating, social media, overworking, unhealthy amounts of time in the gym, pornographic materials, videos/books, etc.
Now, this is exactly where Satan wants us—away from God, in our flesh, in a lustful state, feeding the works of our flesh. This can lead to a type of hellish environment for us. Not only will we be going through a trial, but we will also be away from God, digging a hole with the help of addiction.
We all know the famous story of Jonah and the great fish. He chose to ignore God and flee, instead of obeying and listening to God. Now Jonah fleed the “presence” of the Lord which means he started ignoring him, and chose not to commune with Him anymore. Of course God is omnipresent and Jonah wasn’t going to hide from God, but the point is Jonah turned his heart and mind off to the Lord, and thought he could run away and escape the commandment of the Lord.
Now in this day and age God doesn’t directly speak to us in this matter. We aren’t the chosen people of that time so we don’t have this type of relationship. What we do have is God himself dwelling inside of us, and we all know how it feels when we disobey and ignore the Lord. He will convict us and sometimes, depending on how serious He is about the situation, will make us miserable through the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Jonah ended up in the belly of a fish at the bottom of the ocean. Now try and imagine being at the very bottom of the ocean inside of a fishes belly, or we could say a coffin for better impact. Oh, how deep of a pit he found himself in. If we ignore God we can be sure to find ourselves in a pit of misery just like him.
Jonah 2:1-2
Then Jonah prayed unto the LORD his God out of the fish’s belly, and said, I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.
Wow. Who is grateful for a God of mercy, longsuffering, and forgiveness. Jonah deserved to die in that fish for not obeying the Holy and righteous God almighty, but the LORD showed mercy and grace.
Jonah had a great trial he was going through. He was a militant–“Jew only”– type of guy. He didn’t like the Asseryians in the city of Nineveh. They were nasty people and down right ruthless. They killed many Jews. He chose to run and disobey and ignore the LORD until he found himself in the depths of hell.
So, it’s safe to say ignoring God isn’t going to work out for us.
Anger–One of the scariest states to be in is to be angry with God. We should fear God!
We don’t always understand why we are going through what we are going through, so we have no right to become angry with our Father in heaven.
How many times can we look back on a hard situation and notice the purpose of God allowing it to happen?
Hebrews 12:6
For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
Hebrews 12:9-11
furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
I’m not saying all trials are God chastening us, but we need to understand we are ignorant of why we are going through it. He very well might be correcting us. Why does He do it? For our profit, so we can be partakers in His holiness. How amazing is that!? So we can be more like Him. So we mustn’t be mad with Him because for all we know He is allowing us to go through this hard time to become more like Him. We should be exceedingly happy that we get to become more like Christ.
Take responsibility
Let’s talk about a couple actions and behaviors that can lead us to struggles in life, so that we can find ways to take responsibility.
Illness—How are we taking care of ourselves? If sickness befalls us, can we ask ourselves whether our eating habits and lack of exercise are to blame? Have we scheduled routine doctor’s visits? Finished our prescriptions? Not only purchased a gym membership, but actually made an effort to go and work out a few times a week? Are vitamins a part of our daily routine?
Maybe it would be wise for us to get genetic testing to see if there are slight mutations that inhibit our body’s processing mechanisms from functioning properly. What about allergy tests? Something simple might be off in our systems that causes not only intermittent sickness but also a decline in overall daily well-being: lack of energy, brain fog, diminished focus, headaches, and dizziness, etc.
The point is, there are areas in our lives where we can take preemptive action to combat illness. With an open mind and a humble spirit, we might be able to trace where our sicknesses came from.
Toxic Relationships—Contentious relationships we find ourselves in usually have a large portion of fault on our part. Did we ignore the warning signs God sent us? Did we hearken to the small, still voice of conviction? Has Godly counsel landed on hardened hearts and closed ears?
A lot of times, we can look back on failed relationships and see a pattern. It’s up to us to investigate our past, ask through prayer, look for God’s answer, and finally apply change. Dig into Scripture. Read Proverbs every day. Stay away from “fools,” “wicked men,” “contentious women,” and “strange women.”
God didn’t leave us all alone to suffer pitfalls in the form of toxic people. No, he gave us the Word to point to these pitfalls.
Instead of blaming God for allowing enemies in our lives, let us be thankful for these people, and we should do as the Bible says: pray for them and love them.
Often, our enemies can reveal inadequacies, so let’s not view them through a lens of hate.
Now, I’m not suggesting we should stay in a toxic relationship and allow people to abuse us whatsoever. Get out and leave, but don’t allow hate to splatter the entirety of the relationship, beginning to end, when it’s time to reflect. Let us forgive so that our Father can forgive us.
Forgiveness can allow us to let go of resentments and heal as well.
Conclusion
In times of difficult trials and tribulations we must seek God. If we trust God, we can find peace.
How are we responding during our trials? Are we swift to blame and project responsibility onto God for our difficult times? He is sovereign, after all, isn’t He? He is, in fact, allowing whatever we are going through. He could blink and take away our affliction if He wanted to, so it must be His fault then–right? Resentment seeps in. Anger. Accusations. Questions of salvation: “If He loved me, He wouldn’t allow this to happen to me.” “Maybe I’m not actually saved.” “You’re such a cruel God.”
Also, we tend to forget the evidences of our salvation: everything He has done for us, the situations He has rescued us from, the trials He has faithfully brought us through, the renewing of our minds, the small changes lost in the goings of life.
I hope this lesson can help us look back on our lives and remember who we were and all our faults that God has renewed
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