Suffering

[Jaime]

So whaddya think?

[Sojourner]

I picked Door Number 3. Suffering is a fact of life. It happens to all of us in some form or another. Suffering in any form creates cracks in our hearts, and in my limited experience with suffering, I have found there are two ways I deal with it: either I close myself off from God’s love and try to patch those cracks on my own, or I open myself to God’s love and let Him transform my heart.

Typically I try handling it myself first, and then let God have a shot. He does a much better job than I do … the results are much prettier and longer-lasting, and less damaging to others. Sadly, though, I am a slow learner and continually go back to trying to fix things on my own. Usually when I do that I make a bollocks of it, which then increases my suffering, and then I finally realize that I would have been better off starting by bringing my cracked heart to God. Thankfully it is never too late to do that, or I’d be in real trouble.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

Suffering is a natural evil, but accepted humbly and trustingly can be a means to a supernatural good.

[xTrishaxLynnx]

Suffering [i]is [/i]natural. However, I don't believe it's inherently good or evil. How we choose to deal with it can go either way.

[Socrates]

A distinction needs to made between material evil and moral evil.

Suffering is a material evil, but good can be brought out of it.
How one handles suffering is a moral choice.

[Paladin]

[quote]And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

-Romans 5:3-5[/quote]

trib·u·la·tion /ˌtrɪbyəˈleɪʃən/
-noun
1. grievous trouble; severe trial or suffering.
2. an instance of this; an affliction, trouble, etc.

[Sojourner]

hot stuff, I am interested to see what [i]you[/i] think on this topic. Care to share?

[Apotheoun]

Colossians 1:24

[Apotheoun]

Here are some links to previous threads that dealt with this topic:

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=12755"]Suffering Is Perfect . . . In Christ Jesus![/url]

[url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?showtopic=38717"]Suffering, Suffering[/url]

[Apotheoun]

In Byzantine Catholic theology death, disease, and the corruption affecting the cosmic order, are not seen as a punishment inflicted upon man by God; instead, they are seen as a consequence of man's own voluntary withdrawal from the power of God's uncreated energies. In other words, it is man who, in cooperation with the devil, brings about the disordered desires that wound human nature, along with all the various physical and spiritual diseases afflicting mankind, and of course, it is man who brings about his own death, both the death of the body and of the soul; while it is the eternal Logos who comes in the flesh in order to heal and restore what man and the devil have damaged [cf. John 1:14]. Therefore, it is not God who inflicts suffering upon man; instead, it is man who inflicts suffering upon himself, and he has done this through his rejection of the gift of the divine life given to him at the time of his creation in the Garden of Eden, and he perpetuates it through his own malice and selfishness throughout human history. God is not the cause of death; instead, He is the Great Physician, for it is He who heals, restores, and perfects man, by giving him once again a share in the divine nature [cf. 2nd Peter 1:4].