English Article:What did I do wrong to deserve this pain and suffering? | Benoy J. Thomas

At times of adversity and pain, even the strongest among us have asked the question – Why, Lord?! Why me? Jesus too, while on the cross, after enduring all the pain cried out “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). We don’t read or hear an answer from the heavens to that cry. And same is the case of all the great men, in the Bible. The Scriptures doesn’t take the time to indulge our curiosity as to why Joseph had to go through all those years of suffering, betrayal and rejection, or why Moses was left with no comfort or answer during his exile or even through the Exodus, or why David had to run for his life even after being called & anointed by God, or why Job had to endure all those unimaginable suffering after all his years of faithfulness and righteousness before God. If you take a moment to read Psalms 10, you’ll indefinitely ask the question, was this man David really the chosen one of God. And what did he do to deserve such pain and suffering.
The only one place where we find a direct response from God is in John Chapter 9:2&3 “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” And while we go through that suffering as Christians, we have this comfort in “knowing that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). But Apostle Paul takes it one step further and challenges us Christians to not be content with just that knowledge, but to respond to our suffering with rejoicing “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). James, the brother of Jesus, also confirms that statement by saying; “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). In other words, he’s saying, be happy because you’re lucky and special to have been chosen and given this opportunity to encounter these pains and suffering in your lifetime.
How many of us can bypass the physical and emotional pain to see this light? The Psalmist in Chapter 42:5 cries within and comforts himself through the pain saying, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The conviction that a child of God has is not hopeless, it’s an assurance that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18). And that very soon, we’ll be in the arms of our loving father where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:4). Until then, shine bright for the Lord and smile through your suffering, understanding that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

At times of adversity and pain, even the strongest among us have asked the question – Why, Lord?! Why me? Jesus too, while on the cross, after enduring all the pain cried out “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). We don’t read or hear an answer from the heavens to that cry. And same is the case of all the great men, in the Bible. The Scriptures doesn’t take the time to indulge our curiosity as to why Joseph had to go through all those years of suffering, betrayal and rejection, or why Moses was left with no comfort or answer during his exile or even through the Exodus, or why David had to run for his life even after being called & anointed by God, or why Job had to endure all those unimaginable suffering after all his years of faithfulness and righteousness before God. If you take a moment to read Psalms 10, you’ll indefinitely ask the question, was this man David really the chosen one of God. And what did he do to deserve such pain and suffering.
The only one place where we find a direct response from God is in John Chapter 9:2&3 “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” And while we go through that suffering as Christians, we have this comfort in “knowing that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). But Apostle Paul takes it one step further and challenges us Christians to not be content with just that knowledge, but to respond to our suffering with rejoicing “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). James, the brother of Jesus, also confirms that statement by saying; “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). In other words, he’s saying, be happy because you’re lucky and special to have been chosen and given this opportunity to encounter these pains and suffering in your lifetime.
How many of us can bypass the physical and emotional pain to see this light? The Psalmist in Chapter 42:5 cries within and comforts himself through the pain saying, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The conviction that a child of God has is not hopeless, it’s an assurance that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18). And that very soon, we’ll be in the arms of our loving father where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:4). Until then, shine bright for the Lord and smile through your suffering, understanding that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

At times of adversity and pain, even the strongest among us have asked the question – Why, Lord?! Why me? Jesus too, while on the cross, after enduring all the pain cried out “My God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46). We don’t read or hear an answer from the heavens to that cry. And same is the case of all the great men, in the Bible. The Scriptures doesn’t take the time to indulge our curiosity as to why Joseph had to go through all those years of suffering, betrayal and rejection, or why Moses was left with no comfort or answer during his exile or even through the Exodus, or why David had to run for his life even after being called & anointed by God, or why Job had to endure all those unimaginable suffering after all his years of faithfulness and righteousness before God. If you take a moment to read Psalms 10, you’ll indefinitely ask the question, was this man David really the chosen one of God. And what did he do to deserve such pain and suffering.
The only one place where we find a direct response from God is in John Chapter 9:2&3 “His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” And while we go through that suffering as Christians, we have this comfort in “knowing that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Rom 8:28). But Apostle Paul takes it one step further and challenges us Christians to not be content with just that knowledge, but to respond to our suffering with rejoicing “knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Rom 5:3-5). James, the brother of Jesus, also confirms that statement by saying; “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). In other words, he’s saying, be happy because you’re lucky and special to have been chosen and given this opportunity to encounter these pains and suffering in your lifetime.
How many of us can bypass the physical and emotional pain to see this light? The Psalmist in Chapter 42:5 cries within and comforts himself through the pain saying, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” The conviction that a child of God has is not hopeless, it’s an assurance that “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18). And that very soon, we’ll be in the arms of our loving father where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev 21:4). Until then, shine bright for the Lord and smile through your suffering, understanding that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

Benoy J. Thomas

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