We live in a world where suffering, affliction and pain; natural disasters, sickness and disease are being seen on a global scale and at an alarming rate. leading some to ask the question, “If God is so good, why is there so much suffering?” Why is there so much pain? Where is God in this suffering world? The answer is; God is with you. But we live in a fallen world. God created the world and he created a perfect world. But something happen that changed it. When sin entered the world it became a groaning world. Our separation from the creator brought groaning into the world. (Romans 8:22-23) Like a woman in labor the whole creation groans and labors in wait for God. When a woman is really in labor she groans. And this world is groaning in labor. Waiting for God to come back and make things the way they are supposed to be. The world groans and man groans. We grumble and groan about our struggles. All of creation groans with anticipation, of the coming of God. So let’s address the question “Where does suffering come from?”
I would like to tell you about four reasons we experience suffering. The first reason we experience suffering is because of our situation. Our situation is this; we live in a fallen world. Creation is upset. This world was perfect when God created it but sin brought suffering into it. When man choose to turn away from God, suffering happened. (Genesis 3:17-19) Just because we live in the world we are going to experience suffering. Where ever you go problems will be there. Trying to avoid problems is impossible. One of the root causes of mental illness is trying to avoid problems. Ignoring your problems will drive you crazy. So the first reason we experience suffering is because of our situation.
The second reason we experience suffering is sin. Sin can be explained like this; sin is Self Inflected Non-sense. Through one man (Adam) sin entered this world. And it brought death and decay with it. God wanted to have a relationship with man (Adam). He wanted Adam to talk to him. He wanted Adam to talk to the woman (Eve). But when the serpent talked to Eve, Eve talked to Adam, but, Adam didn’t talk to God. That’s the self inflected non-sense. Generational inheritance is the passing down of characteristics from the parents to the children. The trans-generational effects of sin have been passed down from Adam and Eve to us. We were born sinners, but if we decided to continue living that way we suffer the consequences. Bad behavior and ideals that have been passed down from the parents put a pattern of failure in our lives. Children are not taught to go to church and they don’t know who God is, and they suffer the consequences. We have to put things in a different perspective. We suffer because of many of the decisions we make. We have to begin to take responsibility for the choices we make. “I am the reason why I am suffering”. The second reason we experience suffering is sin.
The third reason we experience suffering is Satan. God did not cause the suffering, Satan did. We have to acknowledge that we are in a fight. (1 Peter 5:8) We are in a fight with spiritually wicked enemies. (Ephesians 6:12) Satan is on the prowl and he wants to devour whoever he can. He will go to great efforts to do any and everything he can to try and alarm and overpower us. (Job 1:9-22, Job 2:7) He walks around roar like a lion, but he is just a mouse with a microphone. The third reason we experience suffering is Satan causes it.
The fourth reason we experience suffering is because we accepted Jesus. There is a situation that goes along with being a Christian. It’s called suffering. But don’t think it’s something strange and that you are the only one going through. (1 Peter 4:12) If you suffer as a Christian be glad that you bear the name and suffer for it. This world hates grace. And it is upset that you receive grace. When you decided to live saved, that mad Satan very mad. And he has had a hit out on you ever since then. The devil is going to fight you every day and for everything. He is going to do everything to make you question your salvation. You may ask the question, “Have I really changed”. The answer is yes! The fourth reason we experience suffering is because we are Christians.
We experience suffering because we live in a fallen world, because we sin and experience the consequences, because we are in a fight with Satan who is seeking to devour whoever he can and because we accepted Jesus as our lord and savior. There is something strange about suffering that is hard to put a finger on. But if you just look behind you, you will see it. That grace and mercy is following close behind you. There is nothing that you are going through or that you will go through that is not worth the coming glory. (Romans 8:18) Suffering is just temporary, what’s to come is eternal!
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