Perhaps you are one of those people who strive to do what is good in God’s eyes and contribute to the wellbeing of humanity. However, you may have wondered “why do I have to suffer as the reality proves, even though I am a good person in God’s eyes?”. Well, you are not alone to ask such a question. Indeed, mankind sense of justice leads us to conclude that it’s not fair for good people to suffer.
But have you ever paused to analyze all the causes of human suffering? Think about the following causes and judge for yourself if the list is exhaustive.
Much of our suffering results from our sinful nature, which both good and bad people have inherited
First of all, know that suffering is not punishment from God, but rather is self-inflicted be it from our inappropriate life style now or as a result of flawed (sinful) genes from Adam and Eve.
Therefore, in the meantime, pending God’s intervention to end human suffering for all time, each of us needs to adhere to God’s righteous standards as described in the Bible so as to minimize the effects of our sinful nature. Isaiah 48:17&18 say “I, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One guiding you in the way you should walk. If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river.”
As an ultimate solution to human suffering, God promises that “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—REVELATION 21:3, 4.
Interestingly, He will do this by means of his Kingdom, which the Bible describes as a real government —DANIEL 2:44. Jesus is the designate King of this Kingdom and this fast-approaching year of 2029 the world will be marking the 2000th year since he was officially presented to the world as the Messiah!!
But have you ever paused to analyze all the causes of human suffering? Think about the following causes and judge for yourself if the list is exhaustive.
Much of our suffering results from our sinful nature, which both good and bad people have inherited
- First of all what is sin: - well, people often use the word “sin” to refer to a bad act that someone commits. However, the Bible also uses sin to describe a condition that all humans—good and bad—have inherited. When the first two humans (Adam & Eve) chose independence from God, that amounted to sin and the consequences to their offspring is as described at Romans 5:12 “Through one man sin entered into the world.” And the latter part of the verse concludes that all of Adam’s offspring are counted as sinners. This concept of how Adam and Eve passed their sin to their offspring is not farfetched to understand, for it’s common to hear of people’s ailments because of genetic inheritance from parents. That’s why at Job 14:4 we read “Who can produce someone clean from someone unclean? No one can!” The Bible goes further to saying at Romans 3:23 that since all mankind are counted as sinners, they therefore all fall short of the glory of God.
- It is this falling short of God’s glory that contributes to physical and mental disorders as well as traits that cause people to harm one another:- People may well know that a particular habit (say smoking & drug use) is harmful, yet they go ahead and indulge in that habit. Romans 7:21 says “When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me” We are all prone to making poor judgement, something God cannot do. Galatians 6:7 says “whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap” Mankind inherently has traits that cause harm to others. This is more pronounced in people with authority who because of greed, cause suffering to their subjects. Ecclesiastes 8:9 says “…man has dominated man to his harm”
- Other causes of suffering are random because of time and unexpected events. This cause is indiscriminatory. Can be associated with accidents, natural disasters, wars and old age Ecclesiastes 9:11 says “time and unexpected events overtake them all.”
First of all, know that suffering is not punishment from God, but rather is self-inflicted be it from our inappropriate life style now or as a result of flawed (sinful) genes from Adam and Eve.
Therefore, in the meantime, pending God’s intervention to end human suffering for all time, each of us needs to adhere to God’s righteous standards as described in the Bible so as to minimize the effects of our sinful nature. Isaiah 48:17&18 say “I, am your God, the One teaching you to benefit yourself, the One guiding you in the way you should walk. If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river.”
As an ultimate solution to human suffering, God promises that “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore.”—REVELATION 21:3, 4.
Interestingly, He will do this by means of his Kingdom, which the Bible describes as a real government —DANIEL 2:44. Jesus is the designate King of this Kingdom and this fast-approaching year of 2029 the world will be marking the 2000th year since he was officially presented to the world as the Messiah!!
