suffering

Few Americans blame God when bad things happen in their lives, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that looks at how people respond to suffering in the wake of a pandemic that has killed more than 750,000 Americans.

Unlike other religious figures, our Savior has experienced the pain he now redeems. He walked through the same terrifying storm from which he spared Peter (Matthew 14:22-31). Here are 5 ways we can join God in redeeming diaster.

Whether you are struggling with physical disease like former America's Got Talent contestant and cancer warrior Jane Marczewski, dealing with the kind of harassment Gov. Cuomo was recently accused of committing and fostering, or suffering in some other way, you can be as honest with God as the biblical psalmist.

Some things in this world are really bad, other things are really good. Ruling over it all, still on His throne, Christ is renewing our hearts and minds to make His glory our greatest pleasure and somehow mysteriously making us better through our suffering here.

When we face the inevitable crises of life, we can turn to ourselves, our capacities, and our achievements, or we can turn to the One who created us, endowed us with our capacities, and enabled our achievements. We can trust creatures or their Creator. We can trust our wisdom or his word.

When we recognize our questionable choices and use them to serve others, our humility earns us the right to share a positive message. If we follow Jesus, such compassion born from his grace enables and empowers us to share that grace with the world.

In recent days, I’ve been suggesting a case for Christian optimism based on several facts. Let’s close with this question: How do we remain optimistic when causes for pessimism confront us daily?

What if you’ve learned every conceivable lesson and undergone every imaginable sanctification and the drumbeat of sorrow continues, with no end in sight? What do you do when the spiritual shepherds who assured you God was preparing a weight of glory through your momentary affliction stammer and look away, no longer able to meet your questions? According to Connors, you stop asking “why?” and start asking “what?” That is, “What good can I bring out of this situation?”

Many are questioning why a loving God would allow suffering. If he is so powerful, then why can’t he put an end to the virus? The truth is, we may never get the answers to these questions this side of eternity. But we can be comforted by the fact that our God isn’t just cognizant of our suffering. He suffers with us.

In an interview with Christian Headlines, author and speaker Philip Yancey encourages Christians to fix their eyes on God amid the pandemic.