Actress Carrie Fisher died on
December 27 last year. She was famous
for playing Princess Leia in Star Wars.
Just prior to her death, in an interview with Rolling Stone, Carrie Fisher
was asked, "Do you fear death?" "No," replied Fisher. "I
fear dying. Anything with pain
associated with it, I don't like. And I've
been there for a couple of people when they were dying, and it didn't look like
fun." I think like Carrie, that
most people will do whatever it takes to avoid suffering and pain in life.
I suspect most of you have
experienced a personal tragedy or loss or trial at some time in your life. Why is there suffering? Why does suffering exist? The honest response is that there are no easy
answers. Anyone who claims to have the
answer is a person who has not pondered the question very deeply.
It’s the age old dilemma between
good and evil. Let me summarize the
debate between theists and atheists. Atheism
says suffering and evil exist because there is no God. The existence of suffering and evil proves
that God does not exist. Bertrand
Russell argues that because of the prevalence of suffering and evil in the
world, there is no all-good, all-powerful, all-present God. So Atheism does not have a problem with
suffering and evil. It is present
because there is no good force or power like God, to counter it. It runs rampant. Suffering, evil, death rules life. Therefore, life, human life, all life, has no
value, no meaning, no purpose. Is
suffering a problem? No, not at all. Atheism has no questions.
Conversely, theism or orthodox
Christianity, the Christian faith, says God exists and God is all-powerful, all-knowing,
all-good or loving and all-present. It says
life has value, meaning, purpose because God is the author of life. It says life contains joy, goodness, humor, wonder,
awe, and amazement. It says suffering
and evil also exist. It says God is
greater than suffering and evil, they are not co-eternal and co-equal in power. It says one-day God will destroy all
suffering and evil in life. And yes, there
are questions. Believers have many
questions: Why did God allow evil to
enter the world? Why does God continue
to allow suffering and evil? What is God
doing about suffering and evil today? Why
hasn’t God put an end to suffering and evil?
Yes, believers have questions, and again, there are no easy answers.
One natural question we ask when
facing trials is why me? Or why this
person? I have asked it. But there is another question: “Why not me?” Why should I escape pain and suffering?
In this Lenten season we examine
this subject from a biblical perspective.
First, adversity is inevitable because we live in a fallen world. God created human beings with a free will, which
has resulted in sin. Sin or moral evil, that
is rebellion against God, disobedience to God, is the cause of much of life’s
suffering. We have the freedom to make
good or bad, good or evil, wise or foolish choices. Further, accidents are a part of life, disease
is a part of life, natural disasters and wars are a part of life. Second, God is present, not absent, but
present in the midst of evil and suffering. Third, God has given us the gift of
faith. And faith, trust, belief, assurance
makes all the difference in how we cope with life’s trials.
As a pastor, I have stood beside
families in nearly every kind of crisis imaginable, from the death of a loved
one after battling cancer to fatal accidents to suicide to murder. As Christians we affirm that scripture has
something to say about God in relation to life’s trials? Here are some basic biblical answers about
God in regard to the question of suffering.
God understands the pain you and
I experience in life. God can empathize
with us. We don’t worship a God who is
above the fray, pampered, coddled, living a sheltered existence in the
celestial realm being fed grapes by the angels.
We worship a God who entered this world fully human in Jesus Christ, who
has walked our walk, who has experienced life’s suffering, who identifies with
us, who is empathetic, who experienced loneliness, rejection, persecution and
died an agonizing death on the cross for the sins of the world. The God whom we worship is no stranger to
pain.
Scripture says the Lord is alive
and with us in times of trials and will supply us with strength. God never leaves you alone. I Corinthians 10 says: “No testing has
overtaken you that is not common to everyone.
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength,
but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able
to endure it.” This is a divine
promise. God is with us and gives us
strength and hope in times of trial.
Scripture says God works to bring
good out of life’s trials. Romans 8:28
says: “God causes all things to work together for good for those who love
God.” Biblical examples abound. Joseph’s older brothers sold him into slavery
when he was a boy, but years later, Joseph rose to power in Egypt , and when his brothers came to him seeking
food during a time of famine in Israel ,
Joseph said to them: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”
The prophet Daniel was thrown
into a lions’ den, but God rescued him; the prophet Jeremiah was tossed into a
slimy pit and later rescued. The apostle
Paul suffered from a physical affliction during his life which God didn’t heal,
despite Paul’s prayers. Instead God said:
“My grace is sufficient.” None of them
were exempt from misfortune, but they kept the faith, they fought the good
fight of faith, and God brought something good out of their adversity.
Scripture says suffering can be
an opportunity to grow spiritually and in other ways. Trials can help you discover that you are
stronger than you think. God has
imparted to you a stronger character, a resilience, and the ability to endure
more that you realize. Trials can become
opportunities for us to mature. Romans 5
says: “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love
has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to
us.” Trials can produce growth
relationally, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Trials can inspire hope. God does a new work in us. God changes us amidst the pain.
Trials can motivate us to turn to
God and discover that God’s plans and purposes are at work in our lives even in
the midst of hardships. And you will
discover a true Friend and Lord: A
Christian wrote: “You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all
you’ve got.” Romans 8 says: “I am
convinced that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the
love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
No, it doesn’t happen immediately
or automatically. We are too emotional; we
are in shock and grief. But by God’s
grace, life’s trials can gradually lead us to a deeper and more profound
appreciation for God’s love and guidance and peace. I know some of you have experienced this in
your own life. I have as well.
Trials can help us to learn to
appreciate the support and care of others.
We grow in our thankfulness for the love and encouragement of friends, colleagues,
family members, neighbors and the church community. Oftentimes their care and concern surprise us. People come through when we least expect it
and in ways which simply astonish us. But
it requires something on our part, having the humility to accept their offer of
help, rather than reject it.
Trials can also make us more
compassionate people. Sin keeps us self-absorbed. Trials can change us. I have found this true time and again. Have you?
People who have known hardships are often the most compassionate and
sensitive of all people. They have a
depth, a discernment, an intuition, a sensitivity and empathy others lack. They
can identify with what you are going through.
They are the best people to talk with and pray with. They are non-judgmental. They know how to
listen.
Trials can be a powerful witness
to the grace of God. Other people see
how you are dealing with your suffering in terms of your faith. God can use us to inspire, to encourage, to
hearten, to motivate others in the times of their trials.
Yes, scripture has answers about
God and the trials in life. But no, it
doesn’t have all the answers. There are
some answers that must wait until we meet Jesus Christ face to face in glory as
the scripture says. In the meantime, despite
our intellectual dissatisfaction, we must rely upon the character, the mercy
and strength of God and the love and support of others around us.
What is the source of your
comfort? When the Bible scholar N.T. Wright
was asked what he would tell his children on his death bed he answered: "Look
at Jesus. The Person who walks out of the pages of the Gospels to meet us is
irreplaceable. He is always a surprise. We
never have Jesus in our pockets. He is always coming at us from different
angles … If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. If you want to know what it means to be human,
look at Jesus. If you want to know what love is, look at Jesus. If you want to know about suffering, look at
Jesus. And go on looking until you're
not just a spectator, but part of the drama that has him as the central
character.”
You may be going through a trial
right now. Know that God is for you, not
against you; know that God is with you and not apart from you. May God grant us
His grace, so that the genuineness of our faith, may be found to result in
praise and glory and honor when Christ is revealed. Amen!
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