Finding Purpose in Pain: How God Uses Our Sufferings for His Glory

 By: Paula Short

He told them, "The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.' So I went and washed, and now I can see!" John 9:11— NLT

When Jesus and His disciples encountered a man that was blind, they were curious. So, they decided to ask Jesus an interesting question. They said, "Who sinned that this man was born blind? Was it his parents or him?"

Some well-meaning Christians believe that every illness or disability must be the direct result of sin in a person's life or in the person's family. But that is rarely the case. Often, no one has sinned or done anything wrong. 

It's natural to wonder why God allows illness and disability to exist in our world. It's a difficult question to answer, but there are several things we can keep in mind that may help us understand.

First, as we ponder, we must remember that God is sovereign. He created us and the world we live in, and His ways are higher than our ways. We may not always understand why He allows certain things to happen, but we can trust that He has a purpose for everything. 

"It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered. "This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. John 9:3— NLT

Secondly, it's important to recognize that illness and disability result from the brokenness in our world. When sin entered the world, it brought with it all sorts of suffering and pain. We see this throughout Scripture as people struggle with physical ailments and disabilities.

Even amid these challenges, we can find hope in God's promises. He promises to be with us always, even in the darkest times. He promises to comfort, heal, and strengthen us when we are weak.

Most importantly, God can bring good out of even the most difficult situations. He can use our experiences to minister to others going through similar trials. He can use our struggles to draw us closer to Him and to help us grow in faith and character.

Let's Reflect

while we may not fully understand why God allows illness and disability to exist in our world, we can trust that He is in control and has a purpose for everything. We can find comfort in His promises and hope in His love for us. And we can trust that He will use even the most challenging circumstances for our good and His glory.