The Meaning Of Suffering Essays Example

Questions about the meaning of suffering are popular, because people feel that they are suffering so much in life, but they do not consider that suffering is fair. People who are devout and respect the Lord, expect to be rewarded for their commitment. Instead, the rich are rewarded even though they are not devout. Many people feel that very often the good suffer, while the bad prosper by collecting so many worldly goods. What is the message that the Lord is trying to send to His followers?
In the book of Kings the nomadic tribe, the Israelites are dealing with threats from God, because He is so angry that they do not listen to Him. God is vengeful and angry because they do not obey His commandments and other teachings. Some people interpret the history in 2 Kings as a book that predicts the future. The future will be a disaster for the Israelites unless they decide to obey God and turn their back on bad activities. 2 Kings is a lesson about the suffering of people generally when they do not obey God. When they do not obey God they face war and exile, but if they would simply follow the commandments of God they would be blessed. Proverbs 3:33-35 also brings up the subject that the wicked will be cursed and the upright will be blessed.
The book of Job is a parable about Job who could be anyone who worships God, but faces terrible suffering in a test. Job and his friends discuss what is happening to him. Job argues that if we receive from God, we should be willing to accept both the good and the bad. Job’s friends try to learn what Job did to be punished so much. The way they understand God is that when bad things happen to a person, that person must have done something bad to deserve it. Job continues to love and adore God and accept the suffering without complaint. One of the ideas shared in Job is, that even though God brings suffering on people, He also heals and protects people. So God is able to do many things, and when He rewards people the rewards can carry on from generation to generation.
Chapter 73 of the Psalms is a poem written by a person who sees individuals who prosper as evil. The writer describes a stereotype that even sounds like someone you might know today. That is why the Psalms holds meaning for peopleover so many centuries. The ungodly are prosperous and increase in riches. The riches are money and lots of belongings. The writer is like an innocent until he realizes they are not good people. He knows that God will despise them. The writer is confused for awhile, but then realizes that being a good person is the best. The parable is about doubting, but then understanding that staying close to God is the best path. Even though life is not always fair, faith and God can strengthen a person during hard times.
Even Job who experienced terrible trials to tempt him to break his faith in God, started to wonder if the righteous only suffer, then why should a person be righteous? Job has very strong faith and faith helps him survive all the terrible tests he is given. The Psalmist of Psalm 73 decides that eventually those that prosper (the wicked) will be punished, and the good will be rewarded if they are patient. Psalm 73 brings up the idea that immediately receiving riches or suffering is like a child with parents who are teaching them how to understand the world and what to expect. The idea of God as a father who is teaching children lessons is written in many places, like Proverb. Proverbs 3 verses 11 and 12 teach lessons about God as the parent and we are the children. The idea of God as a parent in this perspective, is that God is a loving parent who uses punishment and correction to teach people what is right and what is wrong.
The Old Testament especially teaches lessons by making God out to be arrogant and revengeful. God asks Job many rhetorical questions so Job can understand that God is in charge. Job does not need to know why He is making Job suffer, because the reasons of God are always good. Job is scolded by God not because of his faith, but because God says Job does not trust that God knows how much suffering Job can handle. The saying that God never gives us a burden larger than we can bear is the modern version of the idea. Isaiah is a similar lesson. The lesson teaches that God is higher than people and knows more, so He is always able to make the correct choices. If people think that God is being unjust, that is a mistake, the people simply do not understand the reason for God’s actions. Another example is that God can control dangerous creatures that no human can control, like the Behemoth. Therefore, God is stronger in many ways, as well as having more wisdom than humans
Job is tested further and further by God. The tests that Job faces are terrible and he suffers a great deal. God tells Job that God is in control and that Job should never criticize the Lord. God wants people to trust him with no questions asked, because He has such great power and His thoughts are so high, no one should question what He does. God tells Job that He has power over Ultimate Justice, but that is because He always knows what is just and what is unjust.
Isaiah is famous for the servant songs that are parables about how the servant of God must behave and what a Servant of God should expect. Isaiah is also in the Old Testament and, as expected, the servants of God must suffer. In this book, God is not teaching a faithful person like Job why he must suffer. Instead, the book of Isaiah teaches that the suffering of God’s servants is due to cruel people who will mock the servants for what they believe. The servants of God suffer from their neighbors, acquaintances and even members of their own family who mock them for believing in the Lord. God allows this type of suffering from people who are atheists, for example, because by taking God’s side, we are demonstrating the glory of God.
The books of Daniel and some of Psalms discuss how reward and punishment do not have anything to do with earthly rewards or punishment. Instead the lessons teach that the rewards come after death. The Psalms teach that since we are living in the light of God we are experiencing goodness even though we must suffer at the same time. Therefore, we may be experiencing pain and suffering but the grace of the Lord and His teachings will relieve the suffering for He is the Light. Living in the light of God is a constant reminder that no matter how terrible our problems may become, we can still experience His grace and live for his glory.
Christians’ should not be sad that others prosper, because evil people will be punished eternally in death. We are like Job, and God tests are faith. The tests are opportunities to grow in other ways that represent the ultimate glory of God. Servants of God suffer, but that cannot be changed. Human’s who are out of the control of the Lord will reject all that is linked to the Lord; and as such, by accepting the Lord into our lives we can be rejected and despised ourselves by those people.
Even though times are very difficult and suffering is a part of life the promises of eternal life and reward in heaven can gives us strength and courage. The Christian and Muslim faith share the belief that living a prayerful and righteous life will bring rewards in heaven. Even though the non-believers say they are Christian and Muslims when they are not and only bring more suffering, we must have courage because we will be rewarded with eternal life in heaven.
Many people are tricked into becoming evil. Or they have no self-discipline so they collect riches and belongings no matter how the earth or other people on earth are influenced. The person with self-discipline and strong faith must remember that the suffering of the evil will be eternal. At the same time, by following the teachings of the Lord and trusting that God has control we can bear a life of suffering. In other words, we will suffer sometimes, maybe we will suffer throughout our life, but after death our reward will be eternal life in heaven.

Works Cited

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. New York: Oxford University, 1996.