Why Are We Suffering?

Tuesday April 21, 2015

For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. (1 Peter 3:17-18a NIV)

You and I do not suffer solely because we’ve misused chemicals or developed destructive habits and co-dependent relationships. We are not suffering because we thought we were created as a second class human being or because we grew up in a less than perfect environment. We are suffering because we believed the lie that we could meet our needs and solve our own problems in our own way. We are suffering because we believed that masking the unbearable pain inside us with a substance or a relationship would give us lasting pleasure and make life worth living. We are suffering because we did not believe we had a need for an ongoing relationship with God above all else.

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20 NIV)

Now we have come to the place where we realize we’ve been living under a lie. We are suffering because of what we have believed. We have finally admitted that our way of doing life does not work. It is evident that we are powerless over our problems and powerless to function in a healthy way in our daily routine and responsibilities. Our daily life itself has become totally unmanageable. We have nothing to lose by giving up this way of living. In fact, we have a lot to gain when we choose to live life by the principles that God says work.