Suffering and Intimacy with God

When Jelena married Greg, she was hoping to get a “happily-ever-after” life. After their first baby and many sleepless nights, she was ready for a refund! Little did she know that things would get tougher; not easier. Between political turmoil, sickness, disability, and disappointments, she was broken.

Jelena’s story illustrates how pain and suffering in life is like a jackhammer, a sand blasting machine that strips away our fear, anxiety, self-centeredness, complaining, and apathy toward others who hurt. God allows affliction to rip all of that away so that we can see the world through the eyes of Christ. To know God better, we must know our suffering better, and only in our own total surrender can we discover God’s purposes in life’s most painful circumstances.