"God's Love"

" Love is patient, love is kind. it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13: 1-8).

If this is true, then why is there alot of depression, pain, and tradgedy in the world today? Why would a God of love bring so much suffering into our generation? Why would he allow us to be confronted by evil? Doesn't he have to power to stop the evil, doesn't he care about his people? Is God a true God of love if he allows there to be pain in our lives? Well the second fundamental states that God is the true God, the maker of heaven, and the redeemer of the human race. he provides us with not only peace and harmony, but with trial and tribulations as well.

Everything that happens in this worls happens for a reason. god doesn't allow his peope to go through the suffering unless there is a reason for it to happen in the first place. "Love somehow goes through suffering. Freedom goes with suffering. truth, wisdom, knowledge of reality, go with suffering. It seems that everything that has intrinsic value, everything that cannot be bought or negotiated or compromised or relativized or reduced, goes with suffering" (Revelation 21: 1-5). Suffering can play a major role in our lives, it provides us with spiritual cjanges and values.

When it comes to suffering there are five values that can bring some lightness to the hearts of those who needs it. First, suffering helps everlasing realities to break through the barriers. in our time of trouble God van jump in and allow us to see things in a better vision. He can lift away the fog and make a clear path for us to look upon.

Second, the word of God can be taken in a more personal context. the entire chaper of Isaiah 55 tells us that God invites those who have nothing in their hands, a broken heart, and a feeling of confusion towards him, encouraging all those with problems to seek the satisfaction that he is willing to provide for them. Pain comes and goes, but it is what you choose to do with that pain that determines whether you continue to suffer or start to rejoice.

Third, by faith suffering can lead you in the direction of Christ. In the early Church it was stated that, "If you identify with Christ through faith, then expect to suffer for it." The devil is very sneaky and wants nothing more than to destroy your testimony of Christ, he wants to take away your everyday joy, your strength, and especially your relationship with the Savior. Look what happened to Job. Job was a man of God who worshipped him always, even when he had all that he loved and owned destroyed and killed, he still went onto worship God and offer him endless praise.

Take your suffering and use it to witness to others. This fourth value for you to use your pain to help others in need. It gives you the knowledge and know how to tell those with problems that God is there to provide for them, and through this suffering they will only become stronger.

The last and most important value, make it clear that suffering offers you the chance to learn how to trust God. This value is not only the most important value, but is also the hardest to deal with. Edward Kuhlman once wrote about a christian carrying his cross and what happens when the cross is picked up. In so many words he tells us that once a man bends down to pick up his cross, it is then that he is no longer in control of his destiny. All interests vanish, leaving his mind containing one vision, the cross. With this action comes a question, a very crutial question, "Having taken up your cross are you willing to put your trust in that one person who controls your destiny?"

Pain, misery, and torment, the world is filled with these and many other problems leaving us to say, "Why God?" God does things for our benefit, he gives and then he takes back all that he provides, not because he doesn't love us, but because he wants to see us grow in his word and in a closer relationship with him. If God did not love us then why did he send his son upon this earth to die for our sins? (John 3:16). why did he watch as his son was beaten and then hung upon the cross? His son suffered more then we ever will in our lifetime, he gave up his life not because he had to but because he wanted to show us that he loved us enough to save us from a lifetime of sin.

December 1, 1997