Monday 8 July 2013

Does God want christains to suffer?

Does God want christains to suffer? This is a question in the mind of many. According to Purnell's new colour dictionary, surffering is pain of the body or mind; experience of pain. God created man, and his purpose was that man should have power over the fish, birds, and all animals, domestic and wild, large and small. In brief, his purpose was that man dominated the earth (Gen 1:26). We were not created to suffer but rather, we were created to dominate. As defined above, suffering is pain of the body or the mind. It is not God's plan and will that his children should go through this type of suffering. Pain in the body which could be in form of sickness, disease... That of the mind has to do with the emotional state of a person. Sometimes we suffer for our ignorance for the bible says "my people perish because of lack of knowledge". Few times, it could be God that allows/permits such trials our way which leads to pain of the mind or the body. But one thing for sure is that God will never allow trials to consume us. The grace to pull out it there. So we need to check ourselves sometimes when going through pain. Did we disobey certain instruction we ought to have obeyed? Instructions from God, our parents(moral living), doctors, life principles... But God is willing and ready to help you. To lift the burden off your back. Just persist in prayers of mercy to him. God is willing. God is a father. But there's a kind of suffering God wants his children to partake of and that is suffering because you are Christ follower. "MY DEAR FRIENDS, DO NO BE SURPRISED AT THE PAINFUL TEST YOU ARE SURFFERING, AS AS THOUGH SOMETHING UNUSUAL WERE HAPPENING TO YOU. RATHER BE GLAD THAT YOU ARE SHARING CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS, SO THAT YOU MAY BE FULL OF JOY WHEN HIS GLORY IS REVEALED. HAPPY ARE YOU IF YOU ARE INSULTED BECAUSE YOU ARE CHRIST'S FOLLOWERS; THIS MEANS THAT THE GLORIOUS SPIRIT, THE SPIRIT OF GOD, IS RESTING ON YOU. IF ANY OF YOU SUFFER, IT MUST NOT BE BECAUSE YOU ARE A MURDERER OR A THIEF OR A CRIMINAL OR A MEDDLER IN OTHER PEOPLE'S AFFAIRS. HOWEVER, IF YOU SUFFER BECAUSE YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN, DONT BE ASHAMED OF IT, BUT THANK GOD THAT YOU BEAR CHRIST'S NAME (1 pet 4:12-16)" The only sufferring God wants is that for christ sake. Any other kind is not his will. Hence we can take it to him in prayers and he will help as always. Some other bible reference on suffering: 1pet 2:18-25, 1pet 4:1-6, psalm 103:9-10, romans 6:6

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