ARE YOU IN SUFFERING: TAKE A DOSAGE OF CONSOLATION

... Is it true that when a sickness is defined, medication is effectively administered?

One of the most difficult questions to answer is: why is there pain and suffering? Why do we suffer much on this earth even when after Jesus died on the cross for us and said “it is finished”?

Suffering according to Oxford dictionary is physical or mental pain, sadness or lack of something.

Our world today is characterized by many crosses or suffering such as; illness, loss of someone so close to you, personal failure or disappointment in workplace or school, a rumour in circulation that is damaging our reputation and bring us grief and anxiety etc.

Why then do we have to suffer in this world? Here are causes of human sufferings: 

1. We suffer because we live in fallen world where sin reigns in the heart of men.
2. We suffer because of our own foolishness. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-9)
3. We sometimes suffer because it is God’s discipline. “because the lord corrects everyone he loves and punishes everyone he accepts as his child” (Heb. 12:6)
4. We may suffer persecution because of our faith i:e suffering for righteousness sake (2 Tim. 3:12)

Having known some of the causes of our human suffering, let us now consider some reasons why God allow us to suffer

1. As Christian, we suffer; to glorify god before the angelic world (Job 1:2, 1 Pet. 4:16). To manifest the power of god to others (2 Cor, 12:9-10, John 9:3). To manifest the character of Christ in the midst of suffering as a testimony win others to Christ (2 Cor. 4:8-12, 1 Pet. 3:14-17).
2. We suffer to keep down pride, God allows us to suffer so we can maintain a spirit of humanity and depend on him for help.
3. As discipline for sin; To bring us back to fellowship through genuine confession (Psalm 32:3-5, 119:67).

In our world today, many people believe that every bad thing we suffer is from devil that is not exactly true as we said earlier: the lord corrects everyone he loves and punishes everyone he accept as his child (Heb. 12:6). So we see God as aware of our sufferings ha was aware of the sufferings of Job in the bible but sometimes just as in the case of job, God allows our faith to be tested and sometimes, he uses suffering to purify us and to keep in fellowship with him.

So instead going from one place to another, one church to another looking for miracle, we should always persevere and turn back to God for help in our situation for he knows when best and how best to put miraculous smiles on our distressed souls and faces.

However, it is important to note that “God works with us and not for us” so while we await God’s help, it is important to know that our own efforts is highly required. What God does in our life is to complement our efforts and reward us with success. This however, is the problem with some of the end time churches who always confuse their members that they have to suffer at all in life and that’s why it is a blossoming business to open such churches because that is what people want to hear.

We should borrow a leaf from the Disciples of Christ in the book of (Mark 4:35-41), the disciples ran to Jesus in their difficult moments, we should run to God whenever we feel despaired about our cross because HE WILL MAKE OUR BURDEN LIGHT