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Your Question:
Is God testing me with this pain?
Answer:
As I reflect on your question, "Is God testing me with this pain?" I'm reminded of my own struggles with a faulty theology of suffering. I used to believe that God loves me and has a wonderful plan for my life, so of course, He would heal me if I was suffering. But when He didn't, I fell into a deep depression, consumed by self-pity and despair. However, as I've grown in my faith, I've come to understand that pain and suffering can be a reminder of our human brokenness and alienation from God. It's a wake-up call, a reminder that we need God's help and guidance. But, as theologian Vernon Grounds said, "An individual, quite completely free from tension, anxiety, and conflict may assume that God is making him jump through unnecessary hoops." I believe that's not the case. God is not testing us with pain, but rather, He is with us in our suffering, willing to share in it and undergo it for our sakes. In my own experience, I've learned to focus on who God is and what He is doing today in my heart, rather than my doubts and fears. As the Bible says, "Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). So, I encourage you to seek outside assistance, turn to God in repentance and faith, and trust that He is with you in your pain.
Sources:
elemental theology
emery bancroft
my utmost for his highest
oswald chambers
building dynamic faith
jerry falwell
kingdom of the occult
walter martin
introduction biblical ethics
robertson mcquilkin
jesus on trial
david limbaugh
psalms
tremper longman
warranted christian belief
alvin plantinga
raising passionate jesus followers
phil diane comer
systematic theology
wayne grudem
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