What is the point of the suffering we encounter in life? I’ve recently considered what part suffering can play in each of our lives, its causes, and what to do to remedy said suffering.
I don’t think that personal suffering is any sort of “punishment” for wrongdoing. I think the greatest majority of our suffering is a direct result of life choices we have made. Then there are those situations in which we absolutely are “victims of circumstance” and suffer through no fault of our own.
If I am suffering, I need to examine the root causes of that malady. Is there some action I am taken or more importantly, not taking that is causing me to be in the situation I’m in? The God of my understanding doesn’t send punishments pointed at humans. There are those things that happen that are a part of the natural order of the way the world works.
Another question I have is that if God doesn’t cause the suffering we are experiencing is He capable of removing that suffering? I have observed those who ask God to remove their suffering or the suffering of their loved ones who do see positive results and they generally speaking think the removal is a direct result of their requests. But then some ask in prayer to have suffering removed, indeed may even have many others praying for them, yet their malodies remain. Some even see death as a result of their suffering. Therein lies the dilemma, at least in my mind. Is God directly involved in all or any of it? I appear to have more questions than answers.
David Lee
David Lee 