Suffering

Suffering

This Tuesday night we talked a bit about why is there suffering in the world
if God is both good and loving as well as all-powerful.

Kermit The Frog used to sing "It's Not Easy Being Green"

Why do we assume it's easy being God?

Being all-powerful does not necessarily mean that what God does is effortless.

Example. In Genesis we are told that God created the world in six days
and on the seventh he rested.

If it God created the world effortlessly, why did he need to rest?

And beside, that's the last day off that we know of that God has had!

Ever since he has had to contend with man's prayers along the line of
"God you are good, you are powerful - now gimme!"

Maybe people have the wrong idea of heaven as an eternal feast -
an eternal welfare system.

Maybe God created people to help him, rather than to freeload off him.
After all, on earth some people are on welfare,
while others have to pay taxes to support those on welfare.

Maybe people suffer on earth because we are in "boot camp" learning
to be servants of God in heaven.

There used to be a saying back when I was in the army and something unpleasant happened:
"It's good training for you"

Maybe this saying applies to our suffering on earth as well -
its good training for our eternal role in heaven.

Maybe good is measured by what we contribute rather than by what we receive.

Comments?

Further discussion?