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Is Suffering Good?

Does Suffering imply a loving God, one who gives us suffering for a specific reason(what is the reason)? or does it show, that if God does exists, that he has a very morbid sense of humor?

Good Suffering Is

I don't know if I can label suffering as "good", but it may have some benefit as experience. I guess what I'm saying is one does not necessarily have to be burned by fire to know it hurts, but more than often we end up burned and from experience we avoid it happening again.

Is Suffering Good? Beliefs Religious General

I think it depends greatly on the purpose of this life. If it is to be find ultimate happiness and to gain the most experience, I believe suffering serves very important purposes in improving those who are striving to follow Christ.

In my estimation it serves these purposes.

Suffering:
1. Helps us learn love and compassion. Without some suffering we would not have the capacity to truly feal for our fellow beings. God allows suffering so that we may learn to have compassion as he has compassion on us.

2. Helps us understand what ultimate happiness is. Without the bitter, can we truly appreciate the sweet?

3. Some suffering is a result of our bad choices. Because God gave us free, it would be a hollow free will if there was not consequences to all of our actions. If we are given free will there must be at least two choices for it to be real free will (one being the choice to follow God and and alternate choice of wickedness).

4. Like a refiners fire, suffering has the effect of improving our characters. Like gold which needs heat to become truly refined, our souls sometimes need the experience of being cleansed through deep repentance and the suffering that comes with it.

I am of the firm belief that suffering in this life can be for our good. Because of our limited perspective and experience, we probably cannot see that purposes now, and may not completely understand why certain things happen to us. Heck I do not understand the reason for most of the things that happen.

I hope the answers are all given to us at some later date. I still would like some input on why we suffer in this life from others, based on their own life experiences.

Good Suffering Is

All excellent points dbackers. I also think suffering allows us to build a deeper faith in God as well as showing how strong our faith already is. I think that show of faith is most pleasing to him and when shown he then feels we are ready to accept the fate he has for us or a truly wonderful gift is coming. It is almost like working to earn you next pay check.

Good Suffering Is

I believe that suffering has it purpose in our life. While we feel at the time that suffering was not that great at the time we can see that we overcame it and we are now stronger for it. We are brought into this world and we know the world is imperfect. It is the suffering we feel here that makes us ready for the perfect world we will go to in the end. We are learning to love and to be loved by the suffering. there is a goal in life for all of our suffering exactly what it is we may never know while we are in the imperfect world.

Is Suffering Good?

But there is suffering in life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it's better to lose some of the battles in the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever knowing what you're fighting for.
-- Paulo Coelho

Is Suffering Good

I suppose it is easy to say suffering is for our good when we haven't experience the kind of abuse that leaves scars for the rest of your life. I know, trust me.