The Significant Period Of Suffering

1. Describe a time when you experienced a significant period of suffering. How did you deal with that experience? How did you find comfort in the midst of suffering?

The most significant period of suffering I have gone through was when I lost my grandfather. I remember we had celebrated his 50th birthday, never did I imagine it would be the last birthday we would celebrate with him. That horrible news affected my life forever and made me realize that we do not count for a tomorrow. His death was sudden, due to an embolism. His death caused me a lot of suffering because he was not sick and we had made a lot of plans. I wondered and questioned why God did not give us a warning. I did not know how to manage my grief and mourned for

Christian worldview’s response to the problem of evil and suffering is a reality because they are born into a broken world in the result of the fall (Hiles & Smith, 2014). Christians understand that “suffering increases our compassion and equips us to comfort others who suffer” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Also, Christians understand that Jesus died for humanity to gain eternal life. If people reject the purifying death of Jesus, then they will suffer the consequences of God’ rebellion (Gockel, 2009). This means that God will not save them, nor force them to believe in Him; in which they will be condemning themselves to suffer. Suffering allows people to prove their character to others. Christians understand God is entitled to do what He plays because “for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). People are sinners by nature, but it teaches them to become an obedience of God’s ways. Christians understand that suffering is used as a tool for God’s punishments. Also, Christians comprehend evil as wicked, hurtful, painful, and deathful; the opposite of God’s will allowing them to seek forgiveness (Rubin & Yasien-Esmael, 2004). Christians lived humbly because they depend on God by living life by the righteousness of his faith (Habakkuk 2:4). In addition,

According to Gockel, “from a Christian perspective, evil is something God has overcome through good” (2009, p.97). Those who believe in God, know that questioning Him is wrong because it means that they do not believe in the goodness of God. People who trust the Lord know his goodness, that He will rescue and heal them from all evil. Also, believers trust in God’s power in difficult times because He hears them throughout the prayers. God can be trusted as he has proven his love in many ways. According to the Bible, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Suffering is part of humanity because when people believe in God, but sometimes wonder they begin to suffer because they are at fault. (Hiles & Smith, 2014). When a person begins to wonder why God is taking so long to hear their prayer, they begin to think they are not a fault. For example, Job became angry at God because of everything bad that was happening to him and he blamed God. God visited Job, as he listened to God, he realizes that God had given him everything. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21) Job repented of his questioning of God’s goodness, “Job was healed and restored” (Hiles & Smith,