Why Do We Suffer? & Does God Really Punish Us?

[Sarah]

Originally Posted by crakjak

Thank you, it was quite shocking to us all, though he had had some health problems it was sudden. He was the first of eleven siblings to finish his course.

How sad for all of you. We're just never ready for things like this to happen.

I will be praying for your family.

[chosenbyone]

Originally Posted by pittsgirl

Crakjak, Big Larry, and Falla,I am sorry about your loss. My heart goes out to you all. I am praying for the family.

I am praying here as well. Sis Falla, I knew how much your siblings meant to you and how you managed to stay close through the years. I am deeply saddened by your loss.

[chosenbyone]

Originally Posted by PastorDaniel

Came across this while studying this morning. It gives a very good answer to this topic of discussion.

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we[c] also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:1-5 NIV

As I read through the posts on this thread the scripture you referenced above came to mind. Many Christians have been so influenced by the health and prosperity doctrine that they found their faith flailing when suffering came to their door.

I agreed with the points that Daniel and others mentioned on this thread. I would like to add what I have learned about suffering. It comforted me to know that Jesus understood me and had compassion. Going through trials and experiencing God's deliverance better equipped me to minister to others. My pain was never wasted; it brought about compassion that reached out to other hurting people.

Those things that brought suffering to my life could be used to encourage others and to tell them that I had been where they were and how God brought me out. If I failed to not use my suffering as a tool of evangelism and encouragement then my suffering would have been in vain.

[ILG]

Why do we suffer? I think that is a good question. The easy answer is that it is all our own fault. Then, we can simply change ourselves and voila! problem solved.

Where it gets sticky is when it is NOT our own fault. Sometimes people sin against us when we have done nothing wrong. Is that a chastisement??

Sometimes God judges. And that is a chastisement but sometimes seems totally unfair to the human mind. Like when the children of Israel got sick and died from the quail. That almost seems spiteful by God. The children of Israel were complaining. That doesn't seem like a huge issue to us. But God sent them quail and got their hopes up and made them feel that God was answering their complaints. But, he sent them bad quail and they died. That does seem unfair.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Thanks... I'm not sure what to say other than that it comes down to bad decisions... but in some cases those bad decisions are directly influenced by the culture you are a part of.

For example, if someone is pastoring a church somewhere where there aren't any well paying jobs and chooses to use the tithes money to pay the rent at his house rather than the electricity at the church (because things really are that tight), then he would be questioned by the six figure salary guys in a little office amidst the pine trees on US 59 for not seeing to the needs of the church first... therefore, out of loyalty to the organization, he would pay to keep the electricity on at the church before even paying his own rent. I think the root cause of this situation is not the bad decision made by the pastor, but the emotional guilt placed on the pastor by the organization that has not done anything for him ever, except ask him for money when due to the pastor being willing to pastor in a city where there is not much of an economy, he has no money, the people he pastors have no money and the $400 yearly dues plus the $20.00 per month to the district to keep some pampered "respected men of God" eating well really just irritates me... to put it mildly.

Some preachers talk real big about living on faith... but would never take a church that would not support them. Other people REALLY live on faith and struggle every month for their entire lives because they know that those people in that economically stagnant area need a church too.

Boy, did you say a mouthful there. That was my UPC experience in a nutshell. We made less than $10,000 a year (total!) for I think three of our home missions years. This was because we had our own business and lived on savings and credit cards so my husband could take time to "build the church". Hey, we believed what was taught about faith and sacrifice!! All we got for thanks was pretty much a hand outstreched for more and a kick in the teeth. Why stick around for more of that? We left with our dreams in ashes behind. Some could blame us for being stupid. I guess some would say we were stupid for sacrificing so much and some would say we were stupid for holding to our convictions and leaving. Regardless, we aren't doing that anymore. Can't.

[revrandy]

It seems sometimes that this is life and we get to live whether God chooses to intervene or not... I have stood by their caskets and spoke at friends funerals, people as young or younger than I am and now they are dead and gone. Cancer, Car Wrecks, and other things seemingly allowed by God to go thru the natural process of life. I have seen parents weep, husbands mourn, and wives decimated by life but their faith in God remained.

I think there are times when we believe God but rather than a blind faith there is a solid trust to know that what happened or happens God is still God regardless of the course of life.

I will always remember a message preached by Bro. Robert Trapani titled...
"Life's not Fair but God is Just"....

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ILG

Boy, did you say a mouthful there. That was my UPC experience in a nutshell. We made less than $10,000 a year (total!) for I think three of our home missions years. This was because we had our own business and lived on savings and credit cards so my husband could take time to "build the church". Hey, we believed what was taught about faith and sacrifice!! All we got for thanks was pretty much a hand outstreched for more and a kick in the teeth. Why stick around for more of that? We left with our dreams in ashes behind. Some could blame us for being stupid. I guess some would say we were stupid for sacrificing so much and some would say we were stupid for holding to our convictions and leaving. Regardless, we aren't doing that anymore. Can't.

God will honour the sacrifice that was made. He doesn't forget these kind of things even though people might.

God is faithful, fair and just. You can count on Him to give proper recompense if not in this life - then in the next.

Originally Posted by ILG

Boy, did you say a mouthful there. That was my UPC experience in a nutshell. We made less than $10,000 a year (total!) for I think three of our home missions years. This was because we had our own business and lived on savings and credit cards so my husband could take time to "build the church". Hey, we believed what was taught about faith and sacrifice!! All we got for thanks was pretty much a hand outstreched for more and a kick in the teeth. Why stick around for more of that? We left with our dreams in ashes behind. Some could blame us for being stupid. I guess some would say we were stupid for sacrificing so much and some would say we were stupid for holding to our convictions and leaving. Regardless, we aren't doing that anymore. Can't.

Thanks for responding... I probably said way too much, but this stuff just eats at me constantly and sometimes you need to get things off your chest to an audience that can actually understand the situation.

[ILG]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Thanks for responding... I probably said way too much, but this stuff just eats at me constantly and sometimes you need to get things off your chest to an audience that can actually understand the situation.

I'm not sure that this audience is the best for that! :sshhh

I don't think most here understand what you are talking about, but I sure do. Unless you actually live it, it's just so much rhetoric that seems harmless. I'm sure the only reason it eats at you contantly is because your parents are still living in this. For me, it just bugs me sometimes because I left most of it behind. Of course, I can't recapture what I lost.

[ILG]

Your name should be "iconoclast".