Don’t know how long this will last but the question has
arisen why does God allow so much suffering, when is enough, enough? James 1:2 –
4 starts the litany of Biblical clichés:
2 Consider
it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because
you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let
perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything.
When delivered to a person suffering from an illness or a tragedy,
these words can be biting. The first thought is “easy for you to say, you’re
not …” So when comforting someone in need we first need to look at other verses
in James about controlling one’s tongue and just being there. Often that is
difficult for those trying to comfort since often they feel the need to say
something. Again, helping may be better than throwing in your “two cents.”
On the other side from personal experience I know that
through my trials and pains life can be great at the other end. Sure some of
the ailments may never be cured, but the lessons learned are wonderful and most
often bring me closer to God. James really hits the nail on the head, we need
to have joy when we are being tested since often it is training for what is
ahead.
Think of Joseph, Jacob’s youngest of 12 sons (the heads of
the tribes of Israel), who in Genesis 37 was sold off to slavery. He suffered, grew
in that suffering, was thrown back into prison only to come back and save the
nation of Israel during a horrible famine. Sitting in jail or working as a
slave may have hammered Joseph’s psyche, but instead he grew into a leader who
was able to save the same brothers that cast him into slavery.
Often we have no clue about what is on the other “end” of
the suffering. God often uses it to strengthen us for his tasks. To prove my
point think back to every one of the Bibles great men, not one jumped into the
role God intended for them. Many complained of the trials but ended up living
to God’s intended role. So when we do suffer, understand there may be a higher
purpose.
James also gives us a better outlook also, there are two
ways to look at a trial. One is destructive to one’s health and mental state
while the other frees the person to live in peace while suffering. A crappy
attitude does more than just make you difficult to live with, it actually has
been proven to cause addition damage to one’s body though stress related
illnesses.
So we need to be as Paul and sing hymns after being beaten
and chained.