Can Suffering be Good

[rizen1]

John MacArthur, Truth for Today.
Can Suffering be Good

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

We often don't pause to consider that God can turn the evil of suffering into the lesson for good, a lesson we can use to grow spiritually. Sometimes suffering in the form of persecution comes simply because we do not want to compromise our faithfulness to the Lord. Many other times it is merely the common pain, hardship, disease, and conflicts resulting from sin's corruption of the world.

Sometimes, however, God does bring suffering as a means to discipline us when we fall into a pattern of sin. That's what happened to Ananias and Sapphira in the early church (see Acts 5:1-11). Similarly, God punished some members of the Corinthian church for their flagrant sins (1 Cor. 11:29-30).


Whatever the case, you do not have to view suffering as bad. It can teach you kindness, sympathy, humility, compassion, patience, and gentleness, Most important, God can use suffering in unique ways to draw you closer to Him.

 

[Ann]

"Whatever the case, you do not have to view suffering as bad. It can teach you kindness, sympathy, humility, compassion, patience, and gentleness, Most important, God can use suffering in unique ways to draw you closer to Him."

Joh 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I can from personal experience witness and say that I learned all of these fruits of the Spirit by suffering and nothing else.

But it is important to mentioned that I only learned it when I turned to God, draw closer to Him and changed my perspective on my life - meaning that I looked at it positively and not negatively as I did.

Amen to your post sister, it is a very important lesson to learn.

Blessings!