I gained some more understanding this week on why there is so much suffering in the world, and why we have trials.
I’ve heard some people say that someone “deserved all the trouble they are in”, or “God is punishing them”, or even that “God is not a loving God because He allows so much suffering.” So, why is there so much hunger? Why do we have refugees? Why are there so many wars? How does all that reflect on God?
This week I read in several sources and understood a bit more about this. There are basically three reasons why there is suffering in life; our own mistakes, the mistakes of others, and because God wants it.
In all three cases there is a common thread, they all involve someone’s agency. In the first case it is what I want to do, in the second case it is what others want to do, and in the last case it is what God wants to do. In all cases God allows it to happen.
As Elder Andersen says: “Not all the whirlwinds in life are of your own making. Some come because of the wrong choices of others, and some come just because this is mortality.” The suffering we face is a mixed bag of different sources and reasons.
My Mistakes
This week I was surprised to realize that many of the problems I encounter in life happen because of my own choices. Even when we think that someone is doing something that makes us unhappy, if we are honest, and do some soul searching, we can find that we are not innocent either. And the only thing we should really care about is what we do, not what others do.
I think we all agree that God is fair letting us suffer the consequences of our own actions.
The Mistakes of Others
Sometimes we truly suffer the consequences of the choices of other people. The refugee children have not chosen the suffering they face. For, example in the case of the refugee crisis, there are many people whose actions and choices have caused all the suffering. I even think that my inaction has contributed to it, and I am physically far away. Maybe those suffering children are the only ones who have no responsibility.
Thinking of hunger, whose fault is that? There are places in the world where there is great poverty, hunger, and diseases. But those areas also have natural resources. I think the reason those resources don’t convert into health and wealth for the people is because there is also a lot of corruption.
So, why does God allow other people’s will impose suffering and hardships on us?
God is a religious concept, so the answer is also religious. There is this thing that God has granted to all of us, our will. One of the things that we are supposed to do in this life is to use that will to help others, like Christ did.
I believe, that in God’s eyes that is one of the measures of a life well lived, how much good we did to other people. The point is that we are free to choose, and our choices make us who we are. God wants us to become better, but through our own free will. If we were forced to do good, not because we choose to, it wouldn’t me a measure of a good life, or of anything. That is why God allows people to suffer from the mistakes of others.
You might say that it is not fair, and in a way, it isn’t. That is why, one day, there will be a judgment, and everyone will get according to their works. In the end, justice will be served. The trick is to see this life as just one part of our existence.
And, remember that we have a duty to help others and ease their suffering.
Life Sucks
The third reason for trials is that this life is set up to generate sucky days. When Adam and Eve fell, this earth became corrupt. It isn’t perfect, there is corruption in this world. Chaos, decay, and disorder rules this earth, physically and spiritually. (I think that this is exactly the reason why evolution theory is wrong, things tend to decay, not become more complex.) This is a perfect environment for testing our will.
If everything was great, there wouldn’t be any need for us to choose good. I believe that God allows a sucky world because he wants us to grow, become something better. If you want to gain muscle you need to go through pain.
The best part is that God is just but also merciful, through Christ. I will write about that a bit later.
What do you think?
WhatsApp Me
2 Comments
Tapsa
Greetings from Finland,
I found issues in your reasoning and realized, that we think very differently. I think this is a good thing – it allows contrast and thus gaining more clarity (perhaps for both of us).
Suffering is a choice – there are no reasons (outside oneself) for suffering, because suffering is only possible when one chooses to suffer. It is not something that comes from outside – it is a way of thinking about the ideas/situations/people/choices etc. Suffering is like an attitude, that everyone can choose. Thus it always comes from self, not from others or gods or God.
When you feel pain, are you suffering? Depends on the pain and situation – hitting your toe will cause pain, but not suffering (usually). Being rejected by a loved one, causes you pain (inside) and usually suffering. As long as you find the rejection “real” in your thoughts, you will feel pain inside and call it suffering. Most people will suffer in that situation. However, if you were to choose different attitude, you could eliminate the suffering in all situations. Perhaps the other is mistaken in their evaluation (or reasoning) and thus the rejection is not based on reality or truth from your point of view. Anyone can be mistaken, me included. 😉
I agree that God allows all to happen. That is what free will means – that we can choose to live, experience and think as we please. But I disagree with Elder Andersen – All whirlwinds in life are of our own making. We choose the thoughts we think about everything. We choose to love and hate. Nobody else can do it for us. We choose to react, to suffer or to rejoice. We may not apparently choose what happens in the world around us, but I believe that we have a part in “ordering it”. Like in the restaurant, you make the order and fully expect to receive it little later. In life, by choosing ones thoughts on the daily bases, we “order” certain things/people/situations to arrive in our life experience later. Sometimes we forgot that we ordered (= thought about something).
I am glad to hear that you have noticed your role in creating your problems. Nothing anyone else can do, will ever make you unhappy. Only you can make yourself unhappy (or happy). It is a choice. What you think of others (and their doings) will determine how you feel. So what you should care about is what you think. And how you feel will always let you know the truth of your thoughts. When you think of something good and true, you will feel good feelings. When you feel negative feelings, they are letting you know that somehow your current thoughts are not aligned with your true self.
We never have to suffer the consequences of the choices of other people. It is a choice. What good does it do to suffer in face of the great evil or wrongdoings of others? Nothing. But should one take it as a motivating reason for your own thoughts and actions, one can truly change the world.
God allows all to happen. Why? For the “Free Will” to exist. We can choose to suffer. But no one can make you suffer (outside yourself). To me, God is not a religious concept. Your image of God may be, but God was long before (your) religion was created.
Chaos, decay and disorder are concepts. They cannot rule. Only people can rule. If they take upon themselves to uphold those concepts, they can. But nobody can ever make you do that. Free will is precisely free when one can make choices. It always comes back to making a choice.
If everything was great? I think everything is great. I want to do good! Not because of something outside of me, not because of someone else or because some religion says so. I want to do good, because I love goodness. I love freedom. I love love. I love happiness. I love people in my life. I love life on this planet and in this body.
Need for us to choose good? Rubbish. There is no such thing as “need”. Anytime one defines something as “needed” they are fooling themselves. You are eternal spirit having a physical life experience. You do not “need” anything. You want some things, you desire other things, you may even imagine somethings that you could not live without (but you would be mistaken). Anything you define as “needed” is either always given (like physical need for oxygen) or mislabeled desire (I need my husbands love and caring in order to X).
I do not deny that there are many things not working the way I would prefer. But like in a “all-you-can-eat-buffet”, I get to choose what I partake in life. I get to make a decision on what to include in my experience. I get to use my free will. And in everything I choose to do/be/have, I will do my best to do it with love.
There is only unending flow of love in this universe. More you allow it to flow thru you, more alive you will feel.
Let there be ease and flow in your daily life!
T:Tapsa
marko
Great thoughts. I think we generally agree. I think you talk about our reaction to suffering. If someone chooses to throw a rock at me, it causes pain (your term), or suffering (my term). I even agree with you that we can generally choose how we react to the pain.
There is a Concept in the LDS faith that God will not make us bear more than we can handle. I think it is a bit misunderstood. There certainly are occasions when we face bigger pain than we can handle. We are sometimes brought to a breaking point. Sometimes even sisu is not enough. The idea is not to try to just power through it. Sometimes all the strength we have is to fall on out knees and ask for help. In those situations we can lean on Christ’s strength. He will be our spotter. Leaning on Him, we can go through all kinds of suffering/pain and in the process become stronger and grow.
Thanks for the awesome comments.