Human Suffering Is More Normal Than Abnormal
“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you…” I Peter 4:12, NKJV
Human suffering is covered throughout the Bible, both Old and New Testaments. It is so covered in God’s Word because human suffering has its earliest experiences in the Biblical Garden of Eden.
Because of the sin and ultimate fall of mankind, man was destined to suffer with labor upon the earth throughout his life. Woman was destined to suffer with great pain during child birth.
However human suffering has expanded many times over since that original cause and effect of man’s separation from God recorded in the book of Genesis.
As it turns out, human suffering is more normal than abnormal which is witnessed to by the scripture in 1 Peter 4:12. Simply put, we are not to be surprised when a fiery trial (suffering) enters into our life.
Over the 36 years that I have spent pastoring, I have seen people, and I mean good people, experience just about every kind of human suffering there is.
One thing that I have determined from this human suffering is that the most important thing during the trial or tragedy is not the “what and why” of the trial or tragedy but rather the “how will I deal with this tragedy” in my life. What will this trial do to me? How will I be after the trial is over?
Those are the important issues to deal with concerning any trial or tragedy that comes our way.
This means that our attitude about God must be right before, during, and after the event that brings a time of suffering into our life.
Riley Pippen