My friends actions were an avenue for God to reveal a layer of sin in my life that I otherwise would have glossed over. For almost 12 years now, I have suffered with Chronic Lyme Disease. The full moon is the furthest from the sun and, likewise, many people in the full moon of prosperity are furthest from God. In lieu of a comments section, I accept and encourage letters to the editor. You are Gods first love, and He loves you more than anything else He has created. I want to be delivered from sick, failure, fear, & sin. Everything in my life can direct me to Christ. To produce his masterpiece, Michelangelo chose a stone that all other artists had rejected. We are both working for a soft and humble heart., How God Uses Suffering & Turns It Into Good Part 2, Africa Missions Mission Trips to Africa, Asia & Central America Missions Mission Trips, Brazil Missions Ministry Sharing Christ & Making Disciples, Encouraging Bible Verses & Gods Promises, Ministerio de Misses Kevin e Nancy Bart, Missions Ministry Share the Gospel & Make Disciples, Missions Ministry Schedule Bart Missions, Notcias e Fotos do Ministrio de Misses, Os Requerimentos Para a Salvao Verdadeira, Our Latest Posts & Articles & Bible Studies, Prayer In The Bible & Why You Should Pray, Pursuing Intimacy With God Bible Studies Portugus, Pursuing Intimacy With God Bible Studies Book, Spiritual Gifts : Every Christian Has Gifts, Worship In The Bible True Worship Of God. 1. Job in his suffering did not say, The Lord gave and the devil took away, but, The Lord gave and the Lord took away. Suffering never comes our way apart from the purpose and providence of God and for that reason, suffering is always significant, never meaningless. God will use your suffering for good: God promises to use all your experiences (good and bad) to help you become more like His Son (Romans 8:28-29). Lewis wrote. How often have you heard people say, I grew closest to God when my life was free from pain and suffering? Jesus said, If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. It can all be used to turn me to Christ because ultimately he works all things for good. Is My Suffering a Correction for Sin? | Desiring God Gods word is user friendly, spoken as Jesus did where all can understand and want to learn more of Jesus, study more and do his will. The Bible makes it clear that evil and suffering were not present when God created the world. To fully live out that perspective, we need to be present to each moment. But before we turn to Jesus' correction, let's be reminded of the ways God uses our suffering in this world for our good. I did not expect to receive so much information Again, thank you., Greetings to you from India. The Lord knows that we have no greater good than to gaze firmly upon him and not the things of the world. The following are some Biblical reasons why God allowed what we would deem as "bad" situations to be turned into "good" purposes in Joseph's life: To enable him to overcome a prideful attitude and learn humility (See Proverbs 15:33 .) The character and trustworthiness we form here, we take with us there, to Heaven. Our natural first reaction to suffering is frustration, fear, or anxiety. All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. Finally, God uses our suffering for the greater good of others. For emphasis, God repeats this reason. To Teach Us Vital Life Lessons. TGC Course | Difficult Questions About Pain & Suffering But His response took them all by surprise. Mountain climbers could save time and energy if they reached the summit in a helicopter, but their ultimate purpose is conquest, not efficiency. Instead of throwing yourself a pity party (although I have thrown and attended several grand ones for myself), seek the Lords glory for your good in seasons of trials. If we are to mourn with hope, we have to be habituated to the liturgies of lament that have been curated for us in scripture. We see God enact consequences upon Israel for their disobedienceconsequences we would call "suffering" ( Deuteronomy 28; 1 Kings 17:1; 1 Chronicles 9:1 ). Help me to see seasons of suffering as opportunities to draw near to You and point others to the hope of glory through Jesus Christ. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Previously she worked for the U.S. House of Representatives on issues such as child welfare, religious freedom, adoption, and foster care policy. There are loads of sin remaining in even the best heart and suffering serves to purge it, just like fire purifies gold. Randy Alcorn (@randyalcorn) is the author of over sixtybooks and the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries. First, suffering helps to purify God's children. Now I have a Christian site I can get all the resources and information I need. For my own sake,for my own sake, I do this (Isaiah 48:10). PART 3: Does God use Suffering to Teach us a Lesson? He is a kind, loving doctorcuring the infirmities of our hearts. What do people mean when they say I am not afraid of God because I know He is good? And you submit to and pursue Gods plans and not your own. He designs all my circumstances for my everlasting good (Romans 8:28). Against such things there is no law.. My daily, curated collection of Kindle deals for Christians. All content Tim Challies, 2002-2023. Any definition of []. If you love people, care about the truth. If God Can Do Anything, Why Not Alleviate Suffering? He is patient because He longs for us to respond to His merciful invitation to receive salvation through His Son. Please share more Teachings regularly. In Jesus Love, Evangelist Babu, This is very helpful to me so many things I learnt from this website Im very thankful to you., The time and effort you sow into reaching thousands upon thousands of people globally has and continues to touch lives and edify the body of Christ. The kinder and more conscientious he is, the more inexorably he will go oncutting. A person of godly character, and of increasing glory and honor. We have to learn to pray our pain, sing our sorrows and lean in to the comfort of community. Suffering silences the wicked. God is the greatest being. So the first thing that needs to be said is that your suffering and mine, no matter the duration or degree of difficulty, is being used by God for his greater glory. When your heart is breaking, and your world is falling apart, take heart! He said, This happenedso thatthe work of God might be displayed in his life.Eugene Peterson paraphrases Christs words this way:Youre asking the wrong question. For everything that happens to us can make us more like Christ. Trust in his character. Your sufferings are actually doing something. He passionately loves you, and He is passionate to have close fellowship with you. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. 20. The Doctrine of Suffering | Bible.org Is your love for real? Instead of throwing yourself a pity party (although I have thrown and attended several grand ones for myself), seek the Lords glory for your good in seasons of trials. In February 2017, Randy Alcorn spoke at the Linger Conference held at, Randy Alcorn was interviewedby Andy Naselliof The Gospel Coalition in August 2009on the topic of sufferingand evil following the release of his book. If cancer or paralysis or a car accident prompts us to draw on Gods strength to become more conformed to Christ, then regardless of the human, demonic, or natural forces involved, God will be glorified in it. He wants us to be good. Many people will be blessed by your program. 3 Ways God Uses Suffering for Good Beautiful Christian Life You would be healthy. 10:8). Guyons prayers reflected her deep faith and trust in Gods character. What are we to make of Jesus relationship to truth and the laws of logic? It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God. God could create scientists, mathematicians, athletes, and musicians. David W. Jones recommends five books for your summer reading list. Nick Vujicic entered this world without arms or legs. 31 Ways God Can Use Your Suffering for Good Its because each worldview has a different account of the cause of suffering and the end of suffering. God uses suffering to lovingly reveal Himself to me. My good would include healing and dying together in our sleep when we are in our nineties. God uses pain to conform us more into the image of his Son. Just as fire cleanses that which is pure and valuable, so too are we purified by times of suffering. Or they reminded me that there are roughly 700 million people on this planet that dont have enough clean water to drink or food to eat. It is the opposite of the worlds definition of blessed. To the world, being blessed is having everything you want and more. Being aware that God is using everything to make me more Christlike does make me less anxious. Suffering also deepens our intimacy with God. If you care about the truth, love people. Josef Tson, who faced much evil in communist Romania, told me, "This world, with all its evil, is God's deliberately chosen environment for people to grow in their characters. 10 Things You Should Know about Suffering | Crossway Articles 1. Is it okay for Christians to get tattoos? God uses suffering and the difficulties and trials in your life to bring you to the point where He can fill you with His glory. Suffering Is a Fundamental Rhythm of the Good Life, How does suffering fit into our understanding of the good life? Everyone either had a story to tell their mothers cancer, the tears of infidelity or infertility. Fullness and emptiness. if God is this powerful, why didnt he just make a world without sin and suffering? I have now blogged for 7,195 consecutive days. God could create scientists, mathematicians, athletes, and musicians. Please make sure all fields are filled out. Gods Purpose For Prayer. The loss of a job. But youre not. Well send it right to your inbox! If God is a God of love, they said, then why would he let something like this happen, and especially to committed Christians?But they chose to trust God despite their questions. Thankfully, Romans 8 tells us "That for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." God never tells us our pain is good, but he uses pain to work for our good in his miraculous and mysterious way. If you dont understand that the universe is about God and his gloryand that whatever exalts Gods glory also works for your ultimate goodthen you will misunderstand this passage and countless others. He addressed this question atWisdom Forum: The Good Life. Drs. God is with us, strengthening us and comforting us. I think that the first thing that needs to be said is something that my wife told me a few months ago. If we want to remove a tree from the ground, we first need to loosen the earth from around its roots. How God Uses Suffering And Turns It Into Good My struggles, in Christ, are not God's condemnation ( Romans 8:1 ). After my paralysis, tempting choices were scaled down considerably. And with regard to justice, we cannot bear the burdens of the orphan, the poor and the widow unless we are willing to suffer with them and for them. God bless you abundantly., Thank you for this website. Each worldview also has a different account for the end of suffering which we could summarize in three Rs: Reabsorption, rot or resurrection. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. This does NOT mean God causes ALL suffering. He didnt free us to a slave ownership, but to a friendship, an intimate love relationship! Now I am beginning to understand that He wants to transform me by His power as I fall in love with Him! Whatever circumstances we experience can no more arise without the hand of God than a saw can cut without the hand of the carpenter. We think to love means to do no harm, when it really means to be willing to do short-term harm for a redemptive purpose.A physician who re-breaks an arm in order for it to heal properly harms his patient in order to heal him. The body sick with cancer, the paycheck that didnt quite cover our expenses, the grief over an unsaved family member, the late night phone call that changes our life forever. Unbelievers love to claim that Christians serve God only out of self-interest. How God Uses Suffering And Turns It Into Good. Godsoccasionaldirect punishment in this life reminds us of judgment to come, just as hisoccasionaldirect rewards in this life remind us of coming reward. The Master Artist chose us, the flawed and unusable, to be crafted into the image of Christ to fulfill our destiny in displaying Jesus to the watching universe. When we respond to suffering well, we practically demonstrate to the unbelieving world that Christ is more glorious and precious to us than any pain and difficulty we might endure. We can best see the ugly face of sin and the reality of spiritual childishness in the mirror of suffering. How God Uses Suffering for His Glory - FamilyLife It is good that when sin has bent our souls away from God, he will use suffering to straighten them. To Test & Refine Our Faith. Cancer was, in fact, necessary to make Bob and me look more like Jesus. In his last hours on earth, Christ reiterated the certainty of suffering in a Christians life by stating, In the world you will have tribulation. (John 16:33). Gods purpose became clearer to me and now Im fully convinced and understand that His glory is revealed as He uses me just the way I am. We are constantly reminded by our friends, family, and media of that suffering. And Jesus took time to correct this false understanding of God's Word. He wants us tobegood. 4 Reasons for Hope in Suffering | Crossway Articles Remember that God loves his children and that he is ultimately good. God wants you to BE the very best you can be. If Christs head was crowned with thorns, why do we think ours should only ever be crowned with roses? In addition to shaping our character, and deepening our intimacy with Christ, suffering is also an investment in our future. Being hurt by a friends thoughtlessness is a world apart from being betrayed by a spouse or suffering from a debilitating disease, but the invitation from God is the same. 8 Ways God Works Suffering for Our Good | Tim Challies I love to plunder the Puritans! God allows us to walk through seasons of suffering to produce within us perseverance, character, and hope (see. God uses suffering for good. Chelsea was adopted as a newborn from Bucharest, Romania, grew up in North Carolina, and then graduated from Liberty University. It was Luther who said that he could never properly understand some of the Psalms until he endured suffering. How God Uses Suffering for His Glory and Our Good Before moving to the final point. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. God wants to you to more and more like Jesus. And He wants you to be a person of honor and glory. As you evaluate the pain in your own life or in the world right now, meditate on these questions: What is the Lord teaching you about himself? I want to be transformed to image and likeness of God., I thank God for your articles, l am sincerely blessed. Suffering loosens our hearts from the world. So, apparently, you can bring God more glory right now by being sick. That was the most comforting thought that she could have shared with me in that moment. God allows us to go through suffering, and then He uses that to strengthen our faith in Him. And very often the road tobeinggood involves notfeelinggood. And He wants you to be a person of honor and glory. As I am sure you noticed, those worldviews were pantheism, atheism and Christian theism. There are essentially four main responses to suffering that constitute a vision of the good life. Were on a mission to change that. Second, suffering brings us closer to God. May God bless you and provide all resources to you. In Part 2 of How God Uses Suffering And Turns It Into Good we will continue to look at how God uses suffering and uses it for your good and to accomplish His purposes. Our growth in Christ can seem so slow and the road so long, but we can take comfort knowing that God himself is maturing us. What is God doing? God allows us to walk through seasons of suffering to produce within us perseverance, character, and hope (see Romans 5:3-4 ). And in order to have close fellowship and intimacy with God, you need to fully surrender to Him and be one with God. If you feel led by God to support us, we would greatly appreciate any gifts to our general fund. According to the atheist, this life is neither good nor bad, it just is. But suppose that what you are up against is a surgeon whose intentions are wholly good. Amazing amount of Biblical info here , thank you. "Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?'" Things do not randomly happen in the life of a believer. Panthiests attribute the cause of suffering to the body. In her book When God Weeps, Joni Eareckson Tada writes, Before my paralysis, my hands reached for a lot of wrong things, and my feet took me into some bad places. Receive every article in your inbox by subscribing below. When Christs disciples asked whose sin lay behind a man born blind, Jesus said, Neither this man nor his parents sinned (John 9:3). I'm such a clumsy speaker! Keep doing what you are doing. Therefore, God has his people suffer so they will shut the mouths of those who cast aspersions on them and their God. When God brings a flood of suffering upon us, it is then that we fly to the ark, Christ. Article originally posted on FamilyLife.com. Turning my struggles into something that would glorify God and bless others, I realized my purpose! Tragically, it appears that suffering is an inescapable feature of the world we inhabit which means that any definition of the good life has to account for it. Gods work and mission involves reaching lost people, and helping others to grow to become faithful disciples. All institutions shape and form us at the individual level. It would destroy us. If cancer or paralysis or a car accident prompts us to draw on Gods strength to become more conformed to Christ, then regardless of the human, demonic, or natural forces involved, God will be glorified in it. Your email address will not be published. When nothing seems to be going well. The Bible tells us God permits suffering because God has a purpose for suffering. Site by Mere. We should aptly care for and nurture good institutions. Second, suffering brings us closer to God. Suffering is like an artists pencil that draws Christs image upon us. Just as we heat a crooked rod to straighten it, God holds us over the fire of suffering to make us more upright. Billy Graham: Why Does God Allow Suffering? You will be more blessed than ever before., The study was excellent ! Romans and 1 Peter 4:19 make clear that suffering is a grace from God. Christ said, Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline (Revelation 3:19). Cancer was, in fact, necessary to make Bob and me look more like Jesus. Suffering and ease. One thing that Ive become convinced of is that God has different definitions for words than I do. The crowd wanted Jesus to affirm their belief system and their piety. I see this in passages like 1 Corinthians 11:30-32. It is good to be like Christ, and conformity often comes through suffering. All things can, and will, be used by God to accomplish his good purposes for the everlasting joy and glory of his people. It was only when the prodigal was needy that he returned home to his father (Luke 15:13) and only when the dove could not find any rest that she flew to the ark. It is a grace given us now to prepare us for living forever.. Jesus then redirected his disciples from thinking about thecauseof the mans disability to considering thepurposefor it. God tempers outward pain with inward peace.
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