One of the facts about living in this world is that everybody suffers, whether they are a Christian or not. The reason is because of sin. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered into the world, thus it produced suffering to all God’s creation, including us. Death, sickness, evil intentions against others, selfishness, drunkenness, drug addictions, sexual sin, worshiping idols, not obeying the law of the land, corruption, greed, rebellious attitude against the will of God, etc. became part of this world. We all suffer because of our sin and the sin of others.
However, God is good. He loves us so much that He came into this sinful world to save us from our sin so that we can have eternal life in Him. Because of the sin and suffering of this world, God is preparing another place for us, called heaven. Someday in His timing, God will take all of us who believe in Him to His beautiful place that he prepared for us. In the meantime, as we wait on that day to take us home to be with Him, He is helping us to go through our daily suffering.
In the early 1990s, a million people died in the Rwandan’s civil war. There was an ethnic conflict between the tribe of Hutu and Tutsi. Both tribes tried to annihilate each other. As a result of their conflict, millions of people fled from their country to their neighboring country and became refugees. The genocide that happened in Rwanda is a great example of sin and suffering. Anger, violence, and killing were all part of sin, but God came to teach us to forgive, accept, and love each other. It is not God’s fault that suffering is happening in the world, but it is because of sin that people suffer.
We will all suffer and face difficult situations, while we live on this earth, but God has promised us that He will always be there to help us in time of our needs. He will restore and make us strong through the suffering that we are going through. Let us always trust in the Lord and obey His will in our life, and God will guide us through this life while we wait for His coming to take us home to be with Him in heaven.
Ask yourself these questions: How should I live my life through the suffering that I am experiencing right now? Is it God's fault that I am suffering right now? What is the hope that God has promised me that He will do to save me from the suffering of this world?
Write down all the worries that you are facing today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in heaven, thank you that you love me and care about me. Thank you for saving me from my sin and having prepared a beautiful place for me, called heaven. Please help me to go through all my suffering and difficulties, and help me to continue to trust you and follow your will in my life. Please help me now with (mention your prayer requests). In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.