‘There is a reason for suffering’

A friend from Sydney sent me a disturbing e-mail: 

“Letty, my cancer has recurred — the 4th time in two years.   It won’t go away despite good medical care. God must have reasons and I just have to trust Him.  Cancer is not a life sentence anymore; it has become a chronic disease for me.  As such, it is something that I have to accept although I pray to God that He could give me a longer remission.  I was in remission for five years, seven years ago.  While I have life, I will keep my hope high.  I thank God every day that I am still around and to cherish every moment with my family and friends.  Can you please be part of my prayer brigade, again?”

I replied:  “I will pray for you. Trust in God. We may not understand His plans but for sure you are in good hands.  May you find the courage to accept our Father’s will.” 

If I got this e-mail some five decades ago, would I have clenched my fist and demanded explanations?  We know that trials cannot be avoided.  We’ve experienced being rained down with problems.  We get hurt, we become the spoils, and sometimes we even lose life. 

Father Dave Concepcion of the Holy Apostles Senior Seminary used an analogy of the surgeon to explain why it was necessary to sometimes experience pain:  The surgeon cuts the patient open to remove something in the body that is making him/her sick.  Once done, the body begins to heal, and becomes good as new. This is the logic behind the phrase “I wound to heal.” 

According to Father Dave, you experience pain to end the pain.   

Why does God permit evil?  God is not the cause of evil and we should not blame Him. However, God allows it because He cannot usurp or step into our own freedom.  Father Dave asserts that nothing happens without God’s permission.  But do not overlook the stark difference between allowing it and wanting it.

I remember teaching my children how to walk.  I formed a semi circle around my toddler to cushion him and steady his steps.  But he still fell.  I think the moment his tiny mind understood that falling can hurt, he resolved to avoid it and, in the process, he discovered his sense of balance and finally gained confidence to walk without assistance.  “Pabayaan mong madapa para matuto,” (Let him fall so he would learn) say the loving parents, a good parallel to understand why God allows evil.   

This brought up the subject of how parents can mess up their children by being over-indulgent and being soft.  “Do not raise children without backbones,” says Father Dave.

The discipline begins early.  When parents take over their children’s school assignments, you are teaching them to cheat.  As they grow older, they become lazy.  They carry this loosey-goosey attitude where parents are left to assume all responsibility and solve any problem, any snug that they encounter in life.  “Leave it to Dad,” says the son.  Parents harm the character of the child by being too lenient on him. The child becomes weak and cowardly.  He fails to develop emotional strength to be able to face life’s tough challenges. 

He does not know his strength or has not developed it.  If pushed to the wall, he cops out and may take a most horrible way to end his misery. 

When God questioned Adam and Eve, after they committed the sin of disobedience, He asked three questions — questions that are relevant to this day and can be applied in our lives:

“Where are you?” In terms of your time, your relationships, your wishes and desires, your immediate, proximate, and final goals?

“Who told you that you are naked?” This is the same as asking who are the people you allowed and gave the power to tell you who and what you are? Who do you listen to in life?  Who do you believe?

“Why are you doing what you’re doing?”  What is the reason behind the choices you make? 

“In Eden, when the devil suggested to Adam and Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, he was trying to win Adam and Eve.  When they gave their consent, the devil got them, hook, line and sinker.  Adam and Eve empowered the devil to steal, kill and destroy,” notes Father Dave, quoting Bill Johnson.

“Even today,” says Father Dave, “Satan is only empowered when man agrees.”  Evil triumphs when good men do nothing. 

Can suffering be justified?  Yes.  First, admit that suffering should not be spiritualized.  If you’re sick, you’re sick!  It is never easy to endure any illness even if we see God’s purpose in it. 

The next time you are afflicted, ask yourself, “What is God trying to tell me?”  It pays to remember that: 

• Sickness can glorify God. God allows sickness to bring glory to Him and to teach us about His power and love.  “When Jesus resuscitated the sick Lazarus, his ailment did not end in death, but it became proof that God’s glory can give him eternal life, through the sacrifice of Jesus,” says Father Dave. 

• Sickness can be an affliction from Satan.  Satan is active in this world to hinder and torment us any way he can.  But be assured of one thing:  “God will use that affliction to bring about His plan in your life, not Satan’s plan,” says Father Dave.

• Sickness is a natural part of living in a fallen world.  As we age, our bodies begin to break down, slow down, and shut down.  God allows illness to bring our lives to a close.  A friend said it in a cockamamie way, “We’ve got to die of something, you know.” 

What are the reasons for suffering?

• It is a direct result of sin, a cause-and-effect.  Our loving God hurts us in order to heal us.

• It produces growth and maturity as God’s children.  It becomes part of our training.  In Prov.12: 7, “Endure hardship as a discipline.  God is treating you as His sons — for what son is not disciplined by his father?”

• It becomes our identification with others. God uses sufferings to make us better understand and minister to other suffering people.  We are in communion with others. “If one suffers every part suffers; if one part is honored, every part rejoices.”

• It becomes a testing ground, our crucible.  We are subjected to severe test or trial in order to produce something new.  Like how gold is refined by fire to prove its genuineness and show its beauty.       

• It makes us mature and complete. The testing of our faith develops perseverance.  Despite all its difficulty, we stay committed so that we can finish the work at hand.  This results in achieving success, making us grow mature and complete, lacking nothing.      

• It makes us dependent on God.  Suffering can make us learn to trust God and be totally dependent on Him.  He will provide our needs and as St. Paul says, “God is faithful.  He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear.”

“Lent is not only about sin,” says Father Dave.  “It is an affirmation of God’s undying love in the midst of our sinfulness.  It gives us pause but at the same time gives us a reason to let go of sin.   No one can separate us from the love of God, no trial, distress, persecution, hunger, nakedness, danger or sword.  (In all our afflictions), we are more than conquerors, because of Him who has loved us.” Romans 8:37-39.

Google YouTube and type “Five Loaves and Two Fishes” by Corinne May.  The video carries an inspiring message that no gift is too small if it was given from the heart, just like Jesus who gave His heart, His life, “that we may know (how much) we are loved.”