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Your Question:
why does god allow suffering in my family?
Answer:
As a pastor, I've had to grapple with this question many times, and I've come to understand that God's ways are not our ways. He doesn't cause suffering, but He is gracious and loving enough to make it count. He uses our suffering for our good, to refine us and make us more like Him. This is what I've seen in my own life and in the lives of those I've counseled. I recall a conversation with a parishioner who was struggling with the idea of God's sovereignty in the face of suffering. They felt that God's goodness was being called into question by the presence of evil and pain in the world. But I pointed out that God's goodness is not diminished by our suffering, but rather, it's revealed in our suffering. He is willing to share in our suffering, to undergo enormous suffering himself, and to undergo it for our sakes. This is the nature of God's love, and it's what sets Him apart from us. In our family, we've experienced our share of suffering, from health issues to personal struggles. But through it all, we've seen God's goodness and love at work. He's used our suffering to draw us closer to Him, to teach us valuable lessons, and to make us more like Him. As I've said to my congregation many times, "When we're in the midst of suffering, we're not just asking 'Why?' we're asking 'Who?' Who is God, and what is He like?" And it's in those moments of suffering that we come to know God more deeply, and we're transformed by His love.
Sources:
warranted christian belief
alvin plantinga
raising passionate jesus followers
phil diane comer
depression
edward welch
concise history christian thought
tony lane
jesus on trial
david limbaugh
my utmost for his highest
oswald chambers
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