In times of distress, we want to know that our suffering matters to God and that He cares about our pain. Countless millions know little else. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. ", And those two tragic events are just added to the everyday pain and suffering being experienced in individual lives. It either drives us closer to God or makes us bitter at God. Father. Trauma is a distressing, painful, or shocking experience that causes harmful psychological, physiological, or spiritual effects. God is restoring creation to His original design. When our brain is exposed to an intense situation of potential danger, God uses our emotions as a warning system. Just because he hasn't done it yet doesn't mean he won't do it. If God can take the very worst circumstance imaginable and turn it into the very best situation possible, can he not take the negative circumstances of your life and create something good from them? Just as a person's body can be physically ill, an individual's chemical composition can be unbalanced. The reality is our understanding of God, of suffering, and of love are all severely limited. Because love always involves a choice. Thats why we want to help you. In fact, thousands of marriages with situations as complex and painful as yours have been transformed with the help of caring professionals who understand where you are right now. But hopefully this has helped you understand why suffering exists and Gods response to our pain. 1. They just make the suffering worse. Use the questions fromtip number 4 above. We make resolutions. Why now?". So one reason God allows us to suffer emotionally is so we will be better equipped to help others in their times of need as well. And there are new in-laws added to the mix. How to Respond When God Allows Trauma - Equipping Godly Women Learn how you can rebuild your marriage through a personalized, faith-based program called Hope Restored. Of course, serious injury is a pretty vague term. God promises a time when there will be no more crying, no more tears, no more pain and suffering, when we will be reunited with God in perfect harmony, forever. He knows it will bring little comfort. Why has he . But God isnt finished yet. For as C.S. So one reason God allows emotional suffering in our lives is because he knows that sometimes there is nothing that will increase our passion to pursue him more than this pain. Since God . Another explanation as to why God allows bad things to happen is due to Adamic representation. Plus you get FREE access to all of our eBooks. Just type in your email address below. From a Christian perspective, I would state that trauma exists in the world due to sin. The number one response was: "Why is there suffering in the world?". Spouses may come to a new marriage with emotional baggage. Your child may be tempted to think that life, like some lopsided game, has been decided because of these traumatic events. Lewis in A Mind Awake. Has Focus on the Family helped you or your family? God enters into our suffering in his pursuit of us. God sees the larger picture. Of course not. Because of love. I wrote my first novel last year. Hosted by Dr. Danny Huerta, in every 8 to 15 minute episode, youll hear parenting experts share Biblical truths, effective parenting techniques, and useful resources that will help you feel equipped as a mom or dad in todays culture. You can talk about what actions they took, what options they had, and why they chose one option and rejected the others. We have to help her take the sovereign Godwho right now seems offensive to her because he didn't get her out of the situationand show her that he's her only hope. ( Matthew 27:46) From our limited human perspective, pain and suffering seem contrary to our idea of a sovereign God who is good and loving. We commonly think of trauma as extreme situations such as wartime violence, sexual violations, or other life-threatening situations like natural disasters or motor vehicle accidents. In both cases, it is His will to allow people to do bad things. And if we follow those lights, they will lead us toward some conclusions that I believe can help satisfy our hearts and souls. They also believe their dad is the strongest man alive and that mom is the prettiest woman ever and can walk on water (in other words, kids are gullible and dont have a very good grasp of reality). We love stories of other peoples suffering being used for good. in a minute. ", It's like the story that British church leader Galvin Reid tells about meeting a young man who had fallen down a flight of stairs as a baby and shattered his back. Question Why does God allow evil? Jesus is there in the lowest places of our lives. A preacher reflects on a local mass shooting. It states: Those who are able to bring the greatest comfort to others are often the ones who have suffered the most themselves. Some people ask, "Couldn't God have foreseen all of this?" He didnt give a lecture on why suffering exists, rather He says Im with you and I will not leave you. God has the last word! Why do all of these horrific things happen if there's a loving and powerful God? Why does God allow tornadoes, tragedy and suffering? 3 Reasons God Is Allowing You to Emotionally Suffer This is a much more difficult question to answer. Adam represented us ( 1 Corinthians 15:22) so that when he sinned in the Garden of Eden, we ended up suffering the consequences of his rebellion. Examples of traumatic experiences might include: We may think, Lots of kids I know went through that. Maybe we believe, It was predictable. Or, I know I wasnt good enough to make the team. So we label those occurrences as a non-event. I could barely see the white stripe on the edge of the road. But unfortunately, we humans have abused our free will by rejecting God and walking away from him. Join hosts Jeff and Shaunti Feldhahn for this series of six short videos (roughly 3-4 minutes each) called Thriving in Love & Money. Theyll offer helpful tips, informed by years of research and based on their new book, to help you and your spouse explore the underlying issues that lead to financial conflict and consider healthy ways to move from his vs. hers to ours when it comes to money. First, we need to define the difference between pain and suffering. Husband. God does not exist for the sake of man. When you first got married, you laughed all the time with your spouse. Thankfully the Bible offers a better answer to the question: why does God allow suffering? In Romans 8:28 the Bible promises, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.". But if God is not the author of tragedy or evil or death, where did they come from? Do you want to love and know God better and better every day? Are you an advocate for the unborn? Oftentimes nothing awakens us and causes us to seek Gods presence more than pain. When I was asked to explain the tragedy of the fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, I had to say, "There's a mystery to tragedies like this. Why Does God Allow Suffering? If your child does something illogical, remember that it seems logical to them based on the information (or misinformation) they have stored in their memory banks (the hippocampus). If God loves us, why do we suffer? Why does God allow child abuse? These answers don't comfort and often aren't even true. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. So lets dive a little deeper into why does God allow suffering? But thats exactly what God is in the business of doing. Your childs life may not be going the way they want it to. The suffering we experience we see as too harmful, the damage too extreme, to be repaired much less be used for something good. God is still pursuing His people. A helpless God is no comfort for her healing or her future protection. The pain is a defense mechanism that keeps you from further harm. It says the day will come when sickness and pain will be eradicated and people will be held accountable for the evil they've committed. C.S. A lot. This also gives you a great window to look at their inner workings and maturity level. In either case, the emotional pain we experience can always be used by God for the same reason. If it did would you share this post with a friend or two? 2020 by Dr. Karl Benzio. We are finite beings trying to grasp at an infinite God. Answer The Bible describes God as holy ( Isaiah 6:3 ), righteous ( Psalm 7:11 ), just ( Deuteronomy 32:4 ), and sovereign ( Daniel 4:17-25 ). He drove past, pulled out a knife and told me to remove my shirt. These answers dont comfort and often arent even true. So in order for us to experience love, God bestowed on us free will. Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless in a dangerous world. And she described her abuse for several years as a child. Lets dive into the question, Why does God allow suffering? And it was all worth it for that, even though it would cost his son great pain and suffering to achieve our redemption. Teen Suicide: Knowing the Signs will help you distinguish normal teen behavior from more serious problems, like depression and suicidal thoughts. God May Be Allowing You to Suffer Emotionally So You Will Be Better Equipped to Help Others in Their Times of Need. When Painful Memories Resurface - Receive God's Healing Our memory center another structure in the limbic system called the hippocampus shrinks and becomes less active when we are emotionally injured. But then every other day of the year was just incredibly terrific. Mental illness can also result from poor decisions as it did with Jonah. Let's say that on the first day of 2012, you had an awful day. Why Does God Allow Trauma To Happen?: A Crowley Meta Each weekly CT Pastors issue equips you with the best wisdom and practical tools for church ministry. But look at it this way. Several years ago, I commissioned a national survey and asked people what question they'd ask if they could only ask God one thing. Taking the bad of this world and redeeming for something good. 1. While God didnt create suffering, He is in the business of redeeming it. First responders, military, and hospital staff often do this (or should do this). Just in Africa, children are orphaned by the . It would be an oversimplification to say that God causes all the suffering in our lives or that we alone cause all the pain in our lives. Really, these emotions are neither sins nor are they negative, but are a valuable warning system. Instead of always removing that trouble, God sometimes chooses to give only spiritual comfort. Viewing difficult situations with Godly lenses and responding in healthy ways strengthens our brain chemistry. When something bad happens, ask them how they saw it, what they thought and felt, and what thoughts about themselves, others, or God came out of that situation. If you touch a hot stove your body reacts with pain that causes you to quickly move your hand. In Romans 5:3-5, we are taught that through seasons of suffering, God will produce in us endurance, character, and hope which will then enhance our ability to enjoy the love of God which the Holy Spirit has placed within our hearts. Until we understand that there are things we will not see this side of heaven, this question will cause us to stumble. Yet, we know all too well in our world pain can quickly move to suffering. God is completely in control yet we are completely free to act. From the depths of a Nazi death camp, Corrie ten Boom wrote these words: "No matter how deep our darkness, he is deeper still." Again the question not so quietly arises. He set out on a path to redeem humanity. It might be terrible. Let the words of 1 Corinthians 2:9 soak into your soul: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.". Romans 8:28 echos this promise. (Why do we sometimes have difficulty in realizing that there are no secrets from Him?) Death doesn't have the last word anymore. So why is there suffering if God didnt create it? Feel free to email me with any questions or comments at markballenger@applygodsword.com. The Bible contains a lot of suffering, but surprisingly says little about it. Keep lines of communication open. We are the creators of suffering. Are you despised? That is a different course of action than many expect from God. Did you abuse someone? My gift to you. He apparently had fog lamps in front, because he was traveling at a confident and deliberate pace, and I knew if we could just follow those taillights, we'd be headed in the right direction. (why its more than missing the mark). And Jesus said they are coming. Praise God. So, what do we know about why does God allow suffering? Why? I couldn't stop because I was afraid someone might come along and rear-end us. Be the translator of life for your children. But God sees the bigger picture and one day He will reveal it to us. Even apart from the Bible, the world is filled with the evidence of a benevolent . One day it will all make sense. Those who are able to bring the greatest comfort to others are often the ones who have suffered the most themselves.
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