I can confidently say without reservation that the greatest challenge to Christianity is suffering. This is typically called the emotional problem of evil, as opposed to the intellectual problem of evil. It is so named because the questions either stems from logic or from some emotional experience. Whichever kind, it ought to be met with a response of the same kind (of course, I am speaking to those who engage in apologetics). Ergo, those who raise questions of disbelief because of an experience of suffering are not looking for logical or intellectual answers.
Much of the time emotional concerns are masqueraded as logical concerns. Someone might say, “I cannot believe in God because of the suffering in the world.” To this the Christian apologist might want to give an academic response detailing God’s possible reasons for permitting suffering. But if that person who raises this concern had a troubled childhood filled with suffering, for instance, the concern being an emotional one becomes clear. Knowing whether concerns are emotional or intellectual is crucial in apologetic encounters.
Let me say a few words for those who find themselves disbelieving in God because of either the suffering they have endured or suffering they have witnessed. When these things occur, it is natural for us to think that God is cold, distant, and wrong for not stopping those instances of suffering. First I want the reader to understand that Jesus didn’t seek after the rich and privileged. Jesus sought the poor, the weak, the hungry, the outcasts, the lost, the broken, and those who suffer of many kinds. He sought a woman who suffered from menstrual bleeding for years, those who were demon possessed, those who suffered from leprosy and blindness, and so on. Just as Jesus sought them, He also seeks you!
How do I know this? Because Jesus chose to suffer and die and raise from the dead for you. He did this, not for you to find happiness, health, or financial stability, but to have a personal relationship with you. He wants to be with you for eternity. When you remember your suffering, think of how much more Jesus suffered simply because He loves you; that is how much you mean to Him. In this way, your past suffering allows you to connect with God in ways that those who haven’t suffered cannot.
Lastly, remember that God doesn’t want to see you suffer. So much so that He sent His Son to suffer and die so that one day we won’t have to. God seeks you and loves you despite your suffering.
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