Wrestling with God 4

Intro

why would a loving God allow pain and suffering in the world?

push-ups

Argument against God

That God exists removed from the problems in the world that he created

that he has just dumped us here to deal with his mess and watches with popcorn and a recliner

that sounds awful

if that were the case, I would have nothing to do with any of this either

but the case against it can sometimes be hard to make

My Suffering

there is pain in the world and it was designed that way before any action had been taken that has consequences

Why would God design it that way?

to help understand good and bad

to show consequences to actions

to help you grow and to give limits

Romans 5:1-5- suffering produces if you do it right

if you’re selfish, just like with anything, it will produce nothing

God’s Suffering

as with anything, the solution to the problem is a matter of perspective

to think that God is separate from suffering like the premise we started with is a misconception

to think that suffering serves no benefit other than to bring people down is the same

Isaiah 53- he suffers too

Application

you serve a God who does not exist separate from you nor does he want anyone to believe that

he wants to walk with you with nothing coming between you so bad that he would send his son to die in your place

he is a God who loves and cares for his creation, even if there is pain and hurt and suffering in that creation

that might not convince everyone of God, because it still requires a lot of faith to hold that point of view

but it might help you and I in our walk when we are challenged by such thoughts