When bad things happen to good people
0 comments | Posted by Steven Layson on 03 Jun 2007 in From Steve's Study ::
One of the enduring problems of life is the problem of pain. For those who have no faith in God, although an inconvenience, it can hold no philosophical problem – if life is just a matter of chance, then who’s to say bad things shouldn’t happen to good people… they have just much chance of suffering as anyone else. When you suffer, all you can do is “cop it on the chin” and hope you come out the other side.
For the Christian however, suffering poses some real problems. If God is all-powerful & all-good, why does he allow suffering? Surely if he was good, he would want to stop suffering, and if he had the power, he could stop it – but he obviously doesn’t. So how should the Christian respond to suffering?
Here are some of the wrong answers (as described by Philip Yancey in his book ‘Where is God when it hurts?’):
- “If you suffer, it is surely because God is displeased with something in your life”
- “Suffering is never God’s will. All we need to do is muster up the faith (as small as a mustard seed), and God will take it away.”
- “You need to come to the place where you can say, ‘I love you God for making me suffer!’”
The problem of suffering is a complex one and there are no easy answers. The book of Job however, seeks to address the issue head on. In this book we observe an upright and godly man facing some of the worst suffering you could imagine. How does he cope? How does God respond to his cries of anguish? Stay tuned over the next few weeks as we read through this important part of God’s word.
« Is Religion a Thing of the Past? Comforting the Hurting»
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