Suffering is a product of the fall, a consequence of human sin against God (Romans 5:12; 1 Corinthians 15:21). Suffering is in our lives because we are living in a broken world. Some suffering is due to our sinful and wrong choices, but some is due simply to the world being fallen.
God can only comfort us because he has suffered; he can offer mercy because he has experienced weakness and need. He gives to us what he first experienced. Paul's point that suffering does not produce comfort is not addressed here. Being comforted is the thing that equips us to comfort.
In his compassion he wills that those who suffer find relief. In what are called his Beatitudes, Jesus gives a heavenly per- spective to the merit of and reward for embracing human suffer- ing, even persecution at the hands of others for his sake.
1 Peter 5:10. "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
When we are suffering, God is right beside us. Nothing can separate us from His love. He wants to show us His love through His church, and give us a purpose through His Word!
Sometimes when bad things happen, they empower us to act and serve. Even the Savior, our example, suffered infirmities, “that his bowels may be filled with mercy” and so that He could know “how to succor his people” (Alma 7:12). Trials can open our eyes to those who are suffering.
Rev. 21 Verses 1 to 4
He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; [4] he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.
Suffering that comes as a result of “taking up our cross to follow him” strengthens us by helping us experience a greater oneness with Christ until the day we find eternal rest in his presence and glory. We can be confident, that although we suffer as Christ did, we also will be glorified as Christ is.
The practical response is to show compassion to people who are suffering, offer those people help and trust that God will deliver an answer to the problem. An example of this is intercessionary prayers, which are prayers asking for God's help for people in need.
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). So, if you weep, be comforted to know that God sees your tears, He values your sorrow, and He will one day remove every tear from your life.
The five Kleshas are Avidya (ignorance), Asmita (egoism or I-am-ness), Raga (attachment), Dvesha (repulsion and aversion), and Abhinivesha (fear of death and the will to live).
In Psalm 30:5, the psalmist says joy is found on the other side of suffering — weeping lasts the night, 'but joy comes with the morning. ' But Paul's testimony in the New Testament claims he found joy together with his suffering. He said this in 2 Corinthians 6:10, talking about being 'sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.
Scripture reminds us that being burdened and despairing of life itself can strengthen our faith (2 Corinthians 1:8–9). This is because the deepest trials make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. The more we endure with Christ and find him sufficient, the stronger our faith becomes.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. God has promised us His strength. He will never give you a trial you are unable to handle.
Because Christ willingly bore that pain, believers have the benefit of forgiveness and eternal salvation, which is God's purpose behind Christ's pain. John 9:1-3 and 11:1-4 record Christ's testimony that suffering can come to us so that God might ultimately be glorified.
God uses suffering to purge sin from our lives, strengthen our commitment to him, force us to depend on his grace, bind us together with other believers, produce discernment, foster sensitivity, discipline our minds, impart wisdom, stretch our hope, cause us to know Christ better, make us long for truth, lead us to ...
But Scripture teaches us in Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. God did not plan or cause the accident to happen, but He certainly used it because nothing takes Him by surprise.
The Bible tells us that even as we walk through hard times, God is with us (Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 41:10). Hard times are never pleasant; however, God can teach us a lot through hard times. During hard times, we will face trials, temptations, and tribulations, yet the Lord never leaves us during these times.
The good news of Psalm 56:8 is that our God does indeed pay attention to our sorrows. Every cry, every tear, every pain matters to God.
He is able to help us when we are tempted to doubt God's existence or goodness in our suffering because He was tempted, yet without sin (Hebrews 2:18). He meets us in our suffering and walks with us through it. We do not need to face any suffering alone.
God respects agency.
Other trials come from people making bad decisions. God respects the agency of each of His children. He (and we) can encourage, plead, warn, and teach—rewarding good behavior and punishing bad behavior. But in the end, it would go against His nature and plan to force anyone to do anything.
In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie at the root of suffering. By desire, Buddhists refer to craving pleasure, material goods, and immortality, all of which are wants that can never be satisfied. As a result, desiring them can only bring suffering.