Why Does God Allow Suffering?
By Patricia Ang
Why must we go through disappointment, sorrow, suffering, heartbreak, temptation, trials & tribulations? If your life were perfect, would you remember God? If you were healthy, would you thank God for his blessings? It is when we are suffering, when we encounter problems, when our health gives us problems, do we remember and turn to God.
Do you believe that God has a plan and purpose for each of us? The very thing that you want least to talk about, the very thing that you want to keep in your closest is the very thing God wants you to share. God wants you to yield to Him and allow Him to recycle the pain in your life for the benefit of others.
Often our sufferings are not about us but about people seeing the power of God working through our weakness. In the bible, the story of Jonah was faced in a helpless situation, yet God used him to lead a pagan nation to repentance.
“My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak. I am most happy then to be proud of my weakness, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me,” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Many of us have this misconception that God uses only the really talented and gifted people. On the contrary, God uses ordinary people. He does his best work through the weak people. When we share our weakness, others are able to relate to what we are going through. So why Does God allow suffering?
God has given us a Free Will
In the book of Genesis it is written that God created man in his own image. Hence we are given the freedom to choose. We have a choice of right or wrong, good or bad, life or death. You can’t really choose good unless you have the option to choose bad. You can’t really love someone unless you have the opportunity not love that someone. Yes there are times when the poor choices that we make bring about poor consequences. God gives free will to all of us and there is a possibility when others choose to do wrong, one of us may be hurt as an innocent victim. We may make choices that bring pain to ourselves and others. God wants us to love HIM voluntarily. He does not want a bunch of puppets. God gives us the free will to follow him or to turn away from HIM.
God uses Pain to Get Our Attention
Our anxieties and our fears are warning signals telling us that something is wrong and we need to deal with it. At times it is meant to be a wake up call for us. When we are working too hard, we do not take care of our health, and we fall sick. We could be stricken by the flu bug, fever, gastric, it could be a sign to take care of our health, and to pray and spend time with God. Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. There are some of us who are so used to doing things our way but you realise that we are either unhappy at our jobs or are in stagnant relationships which drains off our energy. It is such moments, we seek god and pray for strength and discernment for his plans for us.
God uses pain to teach us to depend on HIM
For the past month I fell sick twice. The first time I had fever, the second time I was down with flu. As it is, whenever I fall sick, I take a long time to recover, and I am easily tired. To worsen such situation, there are so many things to do at work, datelines to meet and the people around me don’t seem to emphatize my situation. At times what you really need is assurance, affirmation and a listening ear. Yet during this period, I learnt to depend on God to heal me and to handle the issues I face daily. It has indeed been a humbling experience. When all is falling apart and you have lost it all, you will realise, God is there for you. HE is the only real problem solver.
God allows pain to give us a ministry to others
Pain makes us humble, sympathetic and sensitive to others’ needs. It prepares you to serve. When we turn to God to heal us from the pain we are going through, He comforts us and wraps his loving arms around us and gives us the help we need. All of us have our hurts, hang-ups and habits. When we are hurting, we want someone who understands who has been going through what we are going through, not someone who has a perfect life.
No matter what others have done to you, God can recycle it and use it for good. God never wastes a hurt. Unless you learn from the hurt and share it, you will waste it. Others will be blessed and encouraged if you share the problems and strengths you have gone through. God can and will use your pain to help others, if you let Him.
God alone is our “rock of refuge, a fortress of defence” (Psalm 31:2). HE is our reliable source of strength and protection.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Beard vs Stone
Bread vs Stone
By Patricia Ang
I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry. He who believes in me never thirst. (John 6:35)
In loving relationships, people warn one another of the inevitable consequences of foolish behaviour. In unhealthy relationships, people threaten one another with punishment if they fail to live up to unreasonable demands.
Bread can be broken and shared with others. When we are bread, we share our gifts. We take time to help someone in need. We offer ourselves to serve, to love and to grow in His glory. At times, as we hurry about our own responsibilities, we become too busy to care about other people. We need to find time to be there for those who care about us.
As bread, we are soft, forgiving and compassionate. There is humility, service, forgiveness and growth. We are passionate about the things we do and we are people-centred. When we respect others and treat them with kindness..When we are peacemakers in tense situations..When we forgive others who have hurt us, we are bread for them.
As bread, we provide encouragement. In (1 John 3:18) it is mentioned what we are to do when we see others in need. He told us to have active compassion. Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed. We have been instructed :”Be doers of the word, but not hearers only.” (James 1 : 22). When we see a need, it is good to talk about it, but we must also do something about it.
Make a difference today. Make a call, send a card, give a gift, offer a hand to help and smile. Love in deed is love indeed.
Are any of your relationships broken or estranged because of something you said or did? Ignoring love ones, misunderstanding good friends, gossiping about fellow colleagues in an organisation?
Have you been feeling hard and cold like a stone? When we are selfish and think of ourselves..When all we are interested in is taking advantage of others. When we are cold to others who could use our friendship, then we are a stone for others.
When we criticise, complain and gossip, we bring others down. When we are jealous, bitter and cold, we have no feelings, we are as hard as a stone. When we use hard thoughts, harsh words, and insensitive actions with those around us and treat them as our enemies, we are like a stone thrown through a beautiful stained glass window, shattering the lives around you. Like a stone we become stagnant for who we are. We refuse to let go of our pride. We become materialistic and selfish. We adopt the attitude – what’s in it for me.
We have a choice. We can be a stone or we can be a bread. Which have you been lately? Which one do you want to be?
We are unable to handle the world matters, yet we are able to make a difference with the people around us – the way, we treat our family member, friendship and community.
When Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4, who asked Him to turn stones to bread if he is the son of God, Jesus replied, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of god.”
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, This bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
By Patricia Ang
I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry. He who believes in me never thirst. (John 6:35)
In loving relationships, people warn one another of the inevitable consequences of foolish behaviour. In unhealthy relationships, people threaten one another with punishment if they fail to live up to unreasonable demands.
Bread can be broken and shared with others. When we are bread, we share our gifts. We take time to help someone in need. We offer ourselves to serve, to love and to grow in His glory. At times, as we hurry about our own responsibilities, we become too busy to care about other people. We need to find time to be there for those who care about us.
As bread, we are soft, forgiving and compassionate. There is humility, service, forgiveness and growth. We are passionate about the things we do and we are people-centred. When we respect others and treat them with kindness..When we are peacemakers in tense situations..When we forgive others who have hurt us, we are bread for them.
As bread, we provide encouragement. In (1 John 3:18) it is mentioned what we are to do when we see others in need. He told us to have active compassion. Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed. We have been instructed :”Be doers of the word, but not hearers only.” (James 1 : 22). When we see a need, it is good to talk about it, but we must also do something about it.
Make a difference today. Make a call, send a card, give a gift, offer a hand to help and smile. Love in deed is love indeed.
Are any of your relationships broken or estranged because of something you said or did? Ignoring love ones, misunderstanding good friends, gossiping about fellow colleagues in an organisation?
Have you been feeling hard and cold like a stone? When we are selfish and think of ourselves..When all we are interested in is taking advantage of others. When we are cold to others who could use our friendship, then we are a stone for others.
When we criticise, complain and gossip, we bring others down. When we are jealous, bitter and cold, we have no feelings, we are as hard as a stone. When we use hard thoughts, harsh words, and insensitive actions with those around us and treat them as our enemies, we are like a stone thrown through a beautiful stained glass window, shattering the lives around you. Like a stone we become stagnant for who we are. We refuse to let go of our pride. We become materialistic and selfish. We adopt the attitude – what’s in it for me.
We have a choice. We can be a stone or we can be a bread. Which have you been lately? Which one do you want to be?
We are unable to handle the world matters, yet we are able to make a difference with the people around us – the way, we treat our family member, friendship and community.
When Jesus was tempted by the devil in Matthew 4, who asked Him to turn stones to bread if he is the son of God, Jesus replied, “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of god.”
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever, This bread is my flesh which I will give for the life of the world.” (John 6:51)
choice in life
Choices in Life
Our lives are not made up by the dreams that we dream but by the choices that we make. Often we will have plenty of choices in life and usually we have a choice between “Do we do things our way or God’s way?”
Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3). In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
In1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul reminds us that we have been “bought at a high price”. God cleansed us from our sins by buying us with the high price of His own life. Let us live to bring glory to God. Our eyes, hands, feet, dreams, thoughts have been purchased to reflect the wondrous glory of God’s will and wisdom. Glorify God in your body.
Don’t we all make choices daily in our lives – be it at work, our relationships, spending time with God?
Why do we work? Do we work for a living or do we feel passionate about our work, where we can use our gifts and talents to make a difference in what we do? Is there a feeling of joy, service and fulfilment at work?
For the past few weeks, I was feeling the stress at work. There were too many things to look into and there were datelines to be met – writing the contents and sourcing pictures for collaterals and website, overseeing the interviews for the corporate video, arranging for dates for road shows, sourcing gifts for visitors and doing fund raising for community service project. There was hardly a moment to catch a breather or time to talk to colleagues or friends. Yet by God’s grace, I managed to survive all these and able to perform the tasks diligently and professionally. It is by praying, listening to praise and worship songs and constantly asking Lord to bless me with strength, wisdom and good health.
My soul finds rest in God alone. My salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation He is my fortress. I will never be shaken (Psalm 62:1-2)
The people that we allow into our inner circles are choices that will affect us. People whom we encounter occasionally don’t affect us that much, but those we spend a lot of time with do. We should make sure we surround ourselves constantly with people who are positive and full of faith.
On weekends, after a hectic week of work, I make a choice to relax and spend time with my family and close friends. I make a point to bring my mother out for a meal weekly and spend time with her. Recently, I also visited the Peranakan Museum, Labrador Nature Reserve and Qianhu Fish Farm which has been a refreshing change for me. It is also joy catching up with close friends over coffee and meals. Over the years I realised that it takes 2 people to maintain a good friendship. I am very thankful for my friends from my secondary school days whom we are still in contact. Over the years, I have met fair weathered friends and those who take one for granted and which I eventually chose not to keep in contact with them.
How about your relationship with God – is it fired with passion to love and serve Him or is it in a lukewarm and stagnant stage? A personal relationship with God through Jesus offers a new way of living. We are invited to receive Christ by faith and when we do, righteousness, as well as many other wonderful blessings is imputed in our lives. (Romans 10:6)
The decision to be a spotlight writer has been one that has truly fulfilling. In order to write the articles, I started reading the bible, daily bread, keeping a book of biblical quotations, attending courses like Alpha and Cafe to know more about the faith and reading books like Billy Graham, Joyce Meyer and John Maxwell. It is a commitment to spend time with God and also to constantly improve in the articles written.
Have you set your mind to pursue the purpose of God passionately or are you pursing your own plan and expecting God to bless it. Well just throw away all your plans and say “Lord, I want your will in your timing. I do not want to be ahead of you, neither do I want to be behind you. Help me to wait patiently on you. God let your will be done in my life.”
Anytime you are doing your best to serve God, you are never wasting your time. God is faithful and He will always bring a reward to those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
Our lives are not made up by the dreams that we dream but by the choices that we make. Often we will have plenty of choices in life and usually we have a choice between “Do we do things our way or God’s way?”
Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3). In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
In1 Corinthians 6:20, Paul reminds us that we have been “bought at a high price”. God cleansed us from our sins by buying us with the high price of His own life. Let us live to bring glory to God. Our eyes, hands, feet, dreams, thoughts have been purchased to reflect the wondrous glory of God’s will and wisdom. Glorify God in your body.
Don’t we all make choices daily in our lives – be it at work, our relationships, spending time with God?
Why do we work? Do we work for a living or do we feel passionate about our work, where we can use our gifts and talents to make a difference in what we do? Is there a feeling of joy, service and fulfilment at work?
For the past few weeks, I was feeling the stress at work. There were too many things to look into and there were datelines to be met – writing the contents and sourcing pictures for collaterals and website, overseeing the interviews for the corporate video, arranging for dates for road shows, sourcing gifts for visitors and doing fund raising for community service project. There was hardly a moment to catch a breather or time to talk to colleagues or friends. Yet by God’s grace, I managed to survive all these and able to perform the tasks diligently and professionally. It is by praying, listening to praise and worship songs and constantly asking Lord to bless me with strength, wisdom and good health.
My soul finds rest in God alone. My salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation He is my fortress. I will never be shaken (Psalm 62:1-2)
The people that we allow into our inner circles are choices that will affect us. People whom we encounter occasionally don’t affect us that much, but those we spend a lot of time with do. We should make sure we surround ourselves constantly with people who are positive and full of faith.
On weekends, after a hectic week of work, I make a choice to relax and spend time with my family and close friends. I make a point to bring my mother out for a meal weekly and spend time with her. Recently, I also visited the Peranakan Museum, Labrador Nature Reserve and Qianhu Fish Farm which has been a refreshing change for me. It is also joy catching up with close friends over coffee and meals. Over the years I realised that it takes 2 people to maintain a good friendship. I am very thankful for my friends from my secondary school days whom we are still in contact. Over the years, I have met fair weathered friends and those who take one for granted and which I eventually chose not to keep in contact with them.
How about your relationship with God – is it fired with passion to love and serve Him or is it in a lukewarm and stagnant stage? A personal relationship with God through Jesus offers a new way of living. We are invited to receive Christ by faith and when we do, righteousness, as well as many other wonderful blessings is imputed in our lives. (Romans 10:6)
The decision to be a spotlight writer has been one that has truly fulfilling. In order to write the articles, I started reading the bible, daily bread, keeping a book of biblical quotations, attending courses like Alpha and Cafe to know more about the faith and reading books like Billy Graham, Joyce Meyer and John Maxwell. It is a commitment to spend time with God and also to constantly improve in the articles written.
Have you set your mind to pursue the purpose of God passionately or are you pursing your own plan and expecting God to bless it. Well just throw away all your plans and say “Lord, I want your will in your timing. I do not want to be ahead of you, neither do I want to be behind you. Help me to wait patiently on you. God let your will be done in my life.”
Anytime you are doing your best to serve God, you are never wasting your time. God is faithful and He will always bring a reward to those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)
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