Why do we suffer?
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing"(NKJV) James 1:2-3
Many Christians today believe the popular creed that assumed suffering is the direct result of sin or under a spell. Suffering is a state of pain and distress. For this reason, suffering is not a good thing for a righteous person to go through. So one will ask, why should God allow a righteous man to suffer if suffering is there for the unrighteous. This question is always mind-boggling and so anytime we fall into trials and temptations we turn to ask ourselves, Why me? What wrong have I done?
James 5:11 reads “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”
The account of Job is one of the good examples to rely on in times of suffering. It is common to suggest that the purpose of the book is to answer the age-old question, "Why does God allow the righteous to suffer?" That is certainly the question Job raised, but it is worthy to note that Job never received a direct answer other than to answer Satan's challenge, "Does Job fear God for nothing?” We are privileged to know of the challenge of Satan, and that God allowed Job to suffer in answer to that challenge, but Job is never told of this.
While Job's questions and complaints often come close to charging God with wrong, he never crosses the line and humbly submits to God when told that the answers to his questions are beyond his ability to understand.
The question of suffering is addressed in the book of Job - Why do we suffer? Who or what causes it? Why doesn't God do something? Not all questions are answered, but some important points are made:
1. Suffering is designed to build our trust in the Almighty and also forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources. God's workings are beyond man's ability to understand. Man simply cannot tie all the "loose ends" of the Lord's purposes together. We must learn to trust in God, no matter the circumstances (Proverbs 3:5-7).
2. Suffering is not always the result of personal sin – The erroneous conclusion drawn by Job's friends is that suffering is always a consequence of sin. Job proves this is not the case.
3. Suffering may be allowed as a compliment to one's spirituality - God allowed Job to suffer to prove to Satan what kind of man he really was. What confidence God had in Job!
Brethren, can God have the same confidence in you? May God give us the ability to go through suffering religiously if we are faced with one.