Suffering in Christian life...
The question often overflows among the believers why do they
need to suffer in this world despite receiving Jesus in their life? The
suffering is one of the many factors people give up believing in God and
following religions. Of course, any queries associated with suffering are
difficult to answer either. I can bet none of you can claim to live a life
without suffering. We suffer physically, emotionally, psychologically,
mentally, and socially in everyday life.
As a student of applied science and civil engineering, I got
to know the value of suffering in my life which began right from the end of my
intermediate in science (+2 level, physical group) and a life of great stress
and pain right before the commencement of my bachelor level of study in civil
engineering. I was almost at a miserable decision to quit studying! But my Lord
sustained my life through the darkest caves of my life. I can still feel the
tears and hopeless moments.
Science and engineering have helped me a lot to somehow
acknowledge why we still have suffering and sorrows in life even after
believing Jesus. This is often a common question as stated earlier. Many people
backslide in their journey. Some returns back to Lord while some don’t. I had
many atheist friends during my intermediate level of study as a science major. Most
of them also had the same issue.
At the Bachelor's level of study, we had many sessions on
earthquakes and the science of building technology. The concept of engineering
got gradually changed after attending such sessions. What we usually think in
normal life turned out to be a myth while the reality was shocking. An
engineer's house is never built with crack resistance feature rather the
building is built in such an intelligent manner that the cracks form in the
right places that release the energy and protects the building from risk. The
common perception that the more the building is rigid the more it remains safe
is false. It is more vulnerable to destruction. It needs rather flexibility
indeed. Engineering philosophy doesn’t assure liberation from damage but
assures safety. It is good if the helmet breaks during an accident which indeed
protects our head region. The vaccine needs to be injected to protect the body
from diseases. Engineers construct an earthquake-resistant building and not
earthquake-proof.
Likewise, sorrows and sufferings that we bear in life are
not for our destruction but God has a purpose for it (Romans 8:18, 2 Cor. 4:17,
James 1:2-4, 12, 1 Peter 4:12-13). He uses struggles to make us come on the
right track in spiritual life (Romans 5:3). We experience his great love and
care when we go through sufferings in our life. Yet we learn to put our trust
in him just as Job did. That’s why God has not promised us a pleasurable life
without any sorrows and breakdowns rather he promises to strengthen us more by
taking us through such a path (2 Cor. 4:8-10; 1 Peter 5:10). Remember, Jesus,
God incarnate himself, had to suffer throughout his life (Isa. 53:3, Luke 14:27,
1 Peter 2:19-21, 4:1). Likewise, all his disciples had to suffer.[1]
Hence, we do not stumble and get hopeless. Suffering isn’t our
end nor it is any kind of unfair environment God has given to us. Keep your
eyes and focus on Jesus and not suffering. God never gives up upon you.
Thank you
[1] “अहिलेका प्रचलित झूटा शिक्षाहरु,” NepalChurch.Com,
August 13, 2013, accessed June 27, 2022,
https://nepalchurch.com/5259/%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%a3%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%a1%e0%a4%b2%e0%a5%80%e0%a4%ae%e0%a4%be-%e0%a4%85%e0%a4%b9%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%b2%e0%a5%87-%e0%a4%aa%e0%a5%8d%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%9a%e0%a4%b2%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%a4-%e0%a4%85/.