"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
- Paul the Apostle -
At times, life sucks.
We find ourselves filled with pain. We struggle. People we love hurt or betray us.
At times, life sucks.
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What's wrong with this picture?
Why does life hurt so bad? Why is there hunger and war and suffering?
If Jesus is Truth and Light, why doesn't he put an end to all of the pain?
Why is there pain in the world?
Image courtesy of Dieter and http://pixabay.com
We are tempted to wonder about God.
If he really loves us, why is there so much pain in the world?
Why are we on an endless roller coaster, ups and downs. Wow, some of the lows are excruciatingly painful.
At times, others lacking faith throw the facts up in our face.
"Where is your God now? You say you believe in him. Why isn't he helping you?"
The Problem of Evil
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In philosophy, this is known as "The Problem of Evil."
If you want a more in-depth look at the philosophical / logical problem of evil, click the link above. However, my purpose in writing this today is to share with you my own, very personal, very individual reason for being at peace with this problem.
I personally suffer pain,
just as you do. I struggle, at times mightily. The worst experience of my life was watching a beloved grandson die.
As beautiful as the world and life can be, there are times when the pain is almost unbearable. I know I am not alone in this.
"For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies."
- Romans 8:22-23
We suffer great pain.
Image courtesy of John Hain and http://pixabay.com
But then I think of how God might have handled things.
I believe that Jesus created the universe. But he might have then just stayed out of it. He could have watched evil take its course, and done nothing.
However, that is not what he did.
God did not exempt himself from the evil in the universe.
Let that thought sink in for a moment.
Had God created the world, put us in it, allowed the entrance of pain and evil, and then remained aloof from it all, I might feel differently.
But that is not what he did.
God did not exempt himself from evil.
Image courtesy of Alexandra Haynak and http://pixabay.com
God has allowed himself to experience pain.
I don't pretend to fully understand the idea that God exists as three persons, unified in one. But I do understand family relationships. I know from experience the pain of seeing a beloved child suffer. God the Father did not remove himself from that pain.
I know from experience the pain of being abandoned. Jesus did not shun that pain.
Physical pain has been at least a small part of my human experience. I know that Jesus willingly suffered far more physical pain that I have ever had to face. He was executed by means of excruciating torture on a Roman cross.
He could have escaped that torture.
History tells us that he did not.
God subjected himself to unimaginable suffering.
Image courtesy of Raheel Shakeel and http://pixabay.com
If God had avoided all pain himself, I might still wonder.
But I find and take great comfort in knowing that God subjected himself and his beloved son to unimaginable pain and suffering, for my sake and yours. I console myself with this logical conclusion:
Had there been a better path to Glory, surely the all-wise Creator, Jesus/God would have trod that path.
Jesus chose the painful road to Calvary.
This incredible fact reassures me that there must be great purpose and good even in the relatively small amount of pain I am called on to suffer.
And so, I wait — impatiently at times, but I wait — for his return. He will ultimately set everything right.
~FIN~
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Thank you for posting @creatr.
A query for the ages.
If life here on earth was pain and suffering free.....would man ever look up?
The answer to the query of pain and suffering can be found in the book of Genesis......Adam made the decision to reject God's plan .....thereby making the decision for the entire human race. He was ruler of the world and ceeded the throne to Satan...who is to this day ruler of the world. When evil rules...there is suffering to be had.
There is a conflict...that conflict is between good and evil. Christ won the victory on the cross although Satan did all he and his demons could do to prevent this victory.
The issue in life for every person is......What think ye of Christ?.....Do you accept or reject Him?
Some are brought to this query through pain and suffering.
Man's extremity is God's opportunity. They will perhaps listen to the gospel message for the first time.
For you see God loved the world (mankind) so much that He gave His uniquely born Son (Christ Jesus) that anyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life......John 3.16.
Christ Jesus who is the God man...came to endure the suffering of the crosss as a substitute for us. As God He cannot have anything to do with sin but as man He could bear the sins of the world, pay the debt of our sin and redeem mankind from the rulership of Satan......and to anyone who believes in Him is given the non-meritorious gift of eternal life.
Thank you for opportunity to think on these things.
Wishing you and yours all the best. Cheers.
Thank you, dear @bleujay, for your visit, for reading my presentation, and for your comprehensive commentary. :D
I couldn't agree more with all you've said. As Moses has related the LORD's words to us,
I've always understood that God pronounced the curse for our ultimate good. As you've stated,
And so, yes indeed, I agree that the curse, pain and suffering, and all evil that impinges upon us, will ultimately be turned to our greatest good by our Great God and Savior, Jesus.
Thank you again for your visit! :D
Upvoted and followed, nice post! Just lost my cousin to cancer so I'm with you on the suffering of pain. Blessings!
I'm very sorry for your loss.
Thank you for visiting and commenting.
This world is a testing ground.
Agreed.
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Because God wants to test you by giving pain, whether you still believe in him if you are going through pain and agony. If you pass this test, you will rewarded with bounties in this life and also hereafter.
Thanks for commenting.
Perhaps it is your conception that is flawed?
Instead of blaming god for the bad things that happen wouldn't it be more consistent to lay blame on satan?
according to Orthodox theology we suffer for the same reason that satan suffers: we separated from God and have denied our true nature
I think we have just been given poor data by the system, on purpose.
I agree that is where much blame is deserved...
Nevertheless (as the general logical argument goes), if Satan is part of God's creation, and if God allows Satan to cause all this grief, somehow God is ultimately to blame. That is not my personal argument, but how the debate is framed by some...
Seems circular to me.
My god is linear, and consistent.
All good, all the time.
an old rabbinical proverb - God put the seeds of wisdom on the outside of our hearts, so when our hearts break, those seeds of truth fall in
Thanks, John. I had never before heard that one. :D
I've said it so much over the years, I thought I wrote it - that it was one of my quotes. My sister-in-law wanted to use it in her book but I couldn't be sure it was mine. So, I used it in a story anyway.
I always hoped one of my quotes would be used at the beginning of Criminal Minds - well, one day it happened. Deb almost fainted. "C'mon, John - watch this - they used your quote!"
Well, I couldn't believe it, until they gave the source - an old rabbinical proverb - they scoped out the source I couldn't find... ha ha. Serves me right! Something good came out of that in the end :)
That's a very interesting story! It's funny how some things become so deeply embedded in our thinking that we come to think of them as our own... :D
And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him. ~Book of Mormon; Helaman 12;3. Amazing chapter 12 changed my life!
But would that not make god cruel? Why worship something that is cruel tonso many when they do not need to be cruel?
After all, God did say he was a jealous God...Did you read the following verse? And I don't think God would send us here to have this experience to not learn and grow and to not be challenged. That would be a waste in my opinion.
Hi, Danny.
I appreciate your visit and your comment. Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Great post, important questions no doubt!
I don't have input from a theological perspective, however from a pure secular point of view, suffering seems to be necessary for and intrinsic to life. It makes life more advanced, more complex. As Nietzsche famously said, "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger.". Decadence often breeds decay, etc.
Cheers!
Thank you for visiting and for your thoughtful comment.
Yes, adversity does seem to have the effect of strengthening us. It is still hard to take at times. :O
Cause evil also exist and people preferr it more cause it's quicker, cheaper, easier and hort term.
Good observation. The bible agrees with you:
Great post beloved @creatr
join us in prayer too: https://steemit.com/christian-trail/@pastorlea/this-is-your-moment
You did a great job explaining this! Thank you!
Thank you, @dottie.
...to know Him in the fellowship of His suffering... Keep posting!
Hi, @steveitt,
Thanks for the encouraging comment. Yes, it is true that we are privileged to share in Jesus' sufferings in ways that I am only beginning to understand.
He gives choices and its for us to make the right decision. He is not a dictator but expects us to follow his footsteps doing good. Now that is a good friend to follow. Don't you think?
meep
Yes, he is the best friend ever.
Thank you for visiting and commenting. :D
Upvoted and also resteemed :)
Thank you, friend.
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My brother would love this post, I am going to share it with him
Thanks, Grady. I appreciate it.
The problem of evil has always been difficult for theists to answer. And truth be told, they have never really had a good answer. I feel that is because there no good answer if you believe good is all good and all powerful. If so, he is either cruel or uncaring about Earth. Still, good read. Thanks
Hello, @john1981. I appreciate your comment here.
While I wasn't going for heavy logic in this post, rather a more personal perspective, I do have to chime in now and say that there are better logical responses to the problem than the simple one you post here.
Without saying this is "the ultimate," I think one paragraph in the treatise I linked above is superior to the logic you've presented:
@creatr Thank you.
Certainly we would not think Mrs. Jones is a bad person, but that is because we understand the short term pain her child went through. But in life there are affliction and suffering that defy any logic. What about SIDs, or parasites that force their way into children's eyes causing blindness, or many others. Clearly, if God is everything somepeople think, he could have and still could create a world where that doesn't happen and we still have free will. To say, well we don't understand it so God has a plan, in my mind, is a bit of a cop out. One of two options is the case.
Either way, he is either limited, cruel, ir uncaring.
Thank you
If God is Good, Why is there So Much Pain in the World? Cuz he created a devil? XD this is philosophical question, if God is good why created a devil?
That's a good question. Perhaps I'll write about it one day.
2nd Nephi 2:27 of the BOM says... Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
I think God created a devil so we can be free. Free to choose.
i think without it we couldnt have evolution , we would be living like in paradise, so we were excluded from paradise so we can progress through seeking solutions to be better. Its good for us in the longterm.
Great post.My pastor once told me that sometimes we should stop and ask ourselves,how are we sure that God is not behind our problems in life?After all we can never change or grow spiritually if we don't move out of our comfort zones.Thanks for your message.
Yes, God allows us to face challenges for our own ultimate growth and good. Thanks for your comment.
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Amen. He will indeed set everything right. Next to Him we know and understand virtually nothing, though it's a lot in another way and all that we need to know while we're here. One day, however, we will have all revealed to us.
Greetings, friend @doule, and thank you for your thoughtful comment. Yes, we look forward to that day. :D
You're welcome, and thank you. That's such an important point, that God hasn't kept Himself from experiencing great pain. How much He has suffered on our account truly shows His love for us. God bless!
Because it is a fallen world. Sin has entered it, and with sin comes pain and everything else that is not good. There was no pain prior to the Fall. Pain is a direct consequence of the first sin.
Yes, I agree completely. And I look forward to God's final remedy.
Thank you for visiting and commenting.
God did experience pain. He made himself man. It helps us relate to him more. I think we all have crosses to bear in life ...some types of pain. That cross or pain brings us closer to a relationship with him. He may allow us to bear those crosses as he bore the cross for us. We are drawn to a more intimate relationship to him. - Thanks for sharing. - Troy
Thanks, Troy, for your great comments.
Thanks for your inspiring article . God bless
You're welcome. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
One of the big classical philosophical questions
A rationale response in only 7 minutes
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@lordp/westworld-a-portrait-of-pain-and-suffering
Hello, @lordp, I'm glad to "meet" you here on the blockchain.
Thank you for sharing your very relevant article describing the Westworld series. I have not as yet seen it, but now I am curious. I did view the movie long ago.
While your response may seem rational, I feel it comes very close yet still misses the mark of truth. I will try to find time to offer a more thorough response of my own as a comment under your post.
Thank you again for your interaction! :D
Looking forward to more interaction :)
Always put God first, no matter what situation your in he wants to remind us that he is always there for us in times of happiness and sorrow.
Thank you, @jollybeez, for visiting and sharing your comments. :D
If God will never put pains in our life, then..we will not afraid of doing bad.
That's a good observation, thank you.
Nice post!
Upvoted :)
Thank you.
I wasn't impressed with him over the last few months, been following little Bradley Lowerys fight with Cancer, 6 yr old, he died on the 7/7/2017 so very sad :(
About fifteen years ago or so, we lost our grandson to cancer treatment the day before his sixth birthday... Yes, so very sad.
Yet I have to affirm that God is good and kind. Some of the other comments here also affirm that; sometimes it is only through pain that we come to realize how much we need to know Jesus and how bleak life is without him.
Thanks so much for your continued support, and for being open about your feelings! I understand.
Your stronger than me as that would have broke me, so sad, hate it when children and animals suffer. (((Hugs)))
Ah, thanks for the hugs, sweetie. Much appreciated.
I hope to write the story of my grandson, here on Steemit, a little at a time.
Will be a sad read but please do as it will help you plus it will put him on the block chain for ever. Let me know when you start :)
I'll let you know! It's a pretty major story, and I need to do some planning for it. ;)
I can well imagine, it has to be done right :)
God is smart - He has put the world in Auto pilot mode... He has minimum involvement in the day to day functioning... what you and I see is very limited perspective of what is actually happening... The answer to your root question is Karma... You reap what you sow, and this cycle of reaping and sowing is not limited to one lifetime... its an endless cycle...
Thanks for your visit, and for sharing your opinion about God. I appreciate hearing your viewpoint, but respectfully disagree.
The God who I worship is named Jesus. He created the entire universe. He is intimately aware of every detail and completely engaged in its moment by moment operation.
I do fully agree that we reap what we sow, with the exception that by God's kindness and forgiveness, we don't always reap the bad stuff... In my case, Jesus bore the brunt of the "bad reaping" that was due to me.
Well there is no escape... Just be thankful to God in all times (Good or Bad)... The nature is maintaining the ledger of all the deeds... it has to be balanced...
I am very thankful to God.
I also appreciate your comments. Thanks for visiting! ;)
Great greetings
good quiestion , very nice and interesting post
Upvoted:) Nice post:) Also, did you know that humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands:O
Great post brother. Upvoted, resteemed, and following :]
this is 8 day already do u want to do it?