the tough stuff

A few weeks ago i had the opportunity to really dig into why i believe that God is all-loving and all-knowing even though there is suffering here on Earth. As i read through books (C.S. Lewis's The Problem of Pain was promptly added to my summer reading list), quotes and, most importantly, the Bible, i was amazed by how the fact that though God never answers a lot of our questions about suffering, He is there every step of the way. Jesus suffered on the cross, He lost friends and wept with those who also mourned, and He feels every hurt even more deeply than we can because He sacrificed Himself for us.

Today i learned that a close friends mom has been diagnosed with cancer. It's so easy for us to have an Earth-focused perspective, forgetting that God works through suffering. He pushes us, molds us and shapes us, and allows our suffering to have purpose and meaning. But that doesn't mean we have to just sit there and be okay with our suffering. We can fight tooth and nail, knowing that God strengthens and empowers us to do what is necessary. And we need to remember that this Earth is not our home - we were made for the Kingdom of God and when we get there this life will only be the twinkling of an eye.

i read a quote from John Stott that i think explains this idea beautifully. In his book The Cross of Christ, he writes: "We have to learn to climb the hill called Calvary, and from that vantage-ground survey all life's tragedies. The cross does not solve the problem of suffering, but it supplies the essential perspective from which to look at it."

Jennie Allen also crushes it with a reminder of maintaining a heavenward perspective in the book Restless (yes, i know i quote it constantly... it's just so good!) saying: "If God's arrow really does go on forever and ever and never ends, it's justifiable that God cares more about our eternity with him than this little pixel." i definitely don't think that she means that God doesn't care, what i think she means is that God sees the big picture. He has a plan and He has the strength to carry you through what that plan brings. Don't just gloss over suffering - it's a real part of what it means to be a Christ (read Paul's story in the Bible if you aren't convinced) - but don't get caught explaining it away either. Just because God knows what He's doing and we trust that, it doesn't mean we can't cry and complain and struggle. We just have to remember that we aren't meant for this life and one day we will be where we were supposed to be - the Kingdom of God - living lives more full than any we can imagine here.