If someone who is a devout Christian is suffering, why does God let it happen? Didn’t He say Himself that He would never give us more than we can bear?
Listen: 49 Question 2
It is true that the Lord will not put more on us than we are able to bear. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” This is the Lord’s load limit. He knows what we can handle and He will not put on us more than we are able to bear. The Lord knows our strengths and limitations much better than we do, so we can trust Him to make sure we can handle the trials that come our way. We may have to suffer physical problems; perhaps it could be spiritual or emotional problems. It may be trials in our own families. Whatever it is, we can be assured that, with the Lord’s help, we can bear the temptation or trial.
Suffering is part of the Christian’s life. Philippians 1:29 tells us, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.” As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called on to suffer for the name of Christ. This is a great privilege. We read in 2 Timothy 3:12, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” If we live a life that honors the Lord, there will be persecution from the world.
No matter what type of sufferings or trials we are called on to bear, we can trust that the Lord is doing a work in us that He will use to glorify His own name. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Here we are called on to suffer so that we might be able to help others that are going through hard times. Sometimes the Lord will allow us to suffer so that we can help someone else. Once we have experienced the comfort of God, we will truly be able to share with others how the Lord can, and will, relieve suffering.
Suffering is an important part of the growth and maturity of the believer. We read in Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
May we learn to say, even as the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (49.2)