Suffering has Purpose

I listened to Episode #134 of the Next Right Thing Podcast last week and I can’t get it out of my head.  She titled it, “How to Pray When You’re Sad.” 

The content totally surprised me.  It was about suffering.  It was about how you and I will go to great lengths to avoid suffering.  How when suffering comes, the only thing you and I want to think about is how to get as far away from the suffering as possible. 

But suffering has purpose.  It refines. She mentions a book called, “This Too Shall Last,” by K.J. Ramsey.  I was so taken by the numerous truisms that I heard in the short quote Emily shares, I ordered the book immediately. 

Jesus told us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses, and follow Him.  In many other places in the Bible, it says that we will have tribulation in this world, and yet we act as if trials and suffering are the result of some cosmic error to be quickly covered up. 

I have no conclusions to offer to you except that I believe strongly this is something important to contemplate.   I’ve put a link to the book on the Marketplace page at liftinghervoice.com.  If you do decide to purchase the book, I would really appreciate it if you would use that link.  It just helps to offset some of the costs of the podcast. 

Don’t forget to let me know your thoughts after listening to the podcast and/or reading the book.