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Your Question:
How do I reconcile my faith with the suffering I've experienced?
Answer:
As a pastor, I've seen many people struggle with reconciling their faith with the suffering they've experienced. It's a challenging and complex issue, but I believe it's essential to understand that God doesn't cause suffering, but He is gracious and loving enough to make it count for our good. This means that even in the midst of pain and hardship, we can trust that God is working something out for our benefit. I've seen people like St. Basil, who welcomed both pleasure and affliction as part of their faith journey. This ambidexterity is crucial in times of suffering, as it allows us to resist the tendency to become passive and wait for faith to be inserted into our hearts. Instead, we must do battle with the darkness of depression and choose to trust in God's goodness, even when we don't understand what He's doing. As the Bible says, "Faith is the supreme effort of your life, throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God." In times of suffering, it's essential to recognize that God is holy love, and that He is moved by our pain. As Jesus was moved by the suffering He saw around Him, so too is He moved by ours today. This understanding can help us to see that suffering is not a contradiction to the Christian faith, but rather a cornerstone on which it is built. As Martin Luther said, "The cross alone is our theology." By embracing the cross and the suffering that comes with it, we can find hope and intimacy with God, even in the midst of darkness.
Sources:
raising passionate jesus followers
phil diane comer
depression
edward welch
confronting christianity
rebecca mclaughlin
my utmost for his highest
oswald chambers
building dynamic faith
jerry falwell
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