UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND

How Are We To Understand And Respond To Suffering?

 

For example:

* A bank fails and an individual loses all their assets.

* A family member suddenly dies without any warning. 

* An unforeseen change in tax laws suddenly wipes out an established business.

Why do people suffer? Is it the result of sin? Circumstances? Bad luck? Evil forces winning over good?

How much suffering is self-inflicted through our sloth, greed, ignorance, or stupidity?

It seems that a considerable amount of the pain we suffer happens at random. Few would disagree that life, taken at face value, often appears to be unfair.

All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness.  (Eccl 7:15)

There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity.  (Eccl 8:14)

In recent reflections on suffering from the Book of Job, five observations came to light:

1. In the struggle between good and evil, God may allow the righteous to suffer without their knowledge of the issues at stake. (Job chapters 1 and 2)

2. Because our lives are expendable for the glory of God, He is the One who determines their quality and duration. (Job1:9-20  2:6-10  42:10-15)

3. Our friends may well misjudge the cause of our suffering by failing to comprehend God’s inexplicable purposes at work behind the scenes. (Job 4:7,8)

4. How we respond to suffering reveals the quality of our faith. (Job 1:21,22  13:15  28:8-12)

5. This side of eternity, God may choose not to explain the reasons for our suffering. He gave none to Job. (Deuteronomy 29:29  Ecclesiastes 8:17)

HOW THEN ARE WE TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO SUFFERING?

Certainly Job’s response to the destruction of his family and fortune is worthy of our consideration. Upon learning of his losses, Job

Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.  (Job 1:20-22)