Free Download: 25 recommended resources on spiritual growth and discipleshipNo question troubles the minds of thoughtful people more than, “If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world?” If you have struggled with this question, I’m not surprised.  So have I.  There is no who stands by the bedside watching a loved one die from cancer who does not wonder, “Where is God in all of this?”By now you and I have lived long enough to know that pain and suffering are a part of the human condition. It comes to all of us. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you were born, if you are rich or poor, we all experience pain. We share in the experience of the pain of loss, grief, rejection, sickness, and much more.The root of our suffering is a fallen world. Because of sin in the world, we experience sickness, pain, suffering, and sorrow. This comes to the believer and the unbeliever.The good news is that our suffering doesn’t have to be wasted. Through our pain we can develop wisdom, we can gain understanding, patience, perspective, and compassion for others.I think sometimes God uses pain to teach us many lessons we couldn’t learn any other way. I can think of three positive things happen when you go through hardship and difficulty:You slow down … and begin to think.You calm down … and begin to listen.You look up … and begin to learn.What I want to know is why doesn’t that happen every day? I think it’s because we go so fast that we don’t have time to think about what we are doing. God has to slow us down, and often the only tool he has is suffering. It’s not that God isn’t willing to speak to us in the midst of life; we’re usually too busy to pay attention.Romans 8:28 contains some comforting words for those enduring hardship and suffering: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” In His providence, God orchestrates every event in our lives—even suffering—to cause us to grow into the character of Jesus.But what I love the most about God is that he didn’t observe our pain from afar. He joined us. Two thousand years ago he left the glories of heaven for the indignity of a borrowed stable. He left the glory of Heaven to come to earth.He joined us. He became one of us.He walked where we walk.He lived where we live.He joined us in our sorrows.He joined us in our pain.He entered our humiliation.He suffered what we suffer.He died for us.Then, he came back from the dead, so we wouldn’t have to stay dead either.Here’s what we learn from pain. God is with us in our pain. He never leaves us. He uses our circumstances to teach us wisdom and to build our character. And whatever he requires us to go through, his grace is sufficient.Today’s Challenge: If you are experiencing pain, instead of asking God why, ask him what. Ask him what he wants you to learn and how you should respond. Ask him where he wants you to grow and how you can serve others. Don’t waste the experience. God is with you in the pain.

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