does everything serve a purpose?

[drummingman]

when a person has something in their like that is bad for years on end, such as ocd, does it really serve a purpose? i know that when something is in a persons life, good or bad, it is because God is allowing it. and by extension it makes sense that when something is in a persons life it is serving some purpose. but it can be hard when a thing in a persons life causes so much pain and struggle and seems to hold them back from reaching their goals (speaking from experience). it can be hard to see the good from such a bad thing.
i know that in the new testament paul had his thorn in the flesh. and from what i remember he knew that the reason why he had it was to keep him from becoming arrogant because of all of the things that God had showed him. but what do we do when we dont know the reason why we have our own thorn in the flesh? i know that that is where faith comes in and we have to trust God that he has a reason for everything that he allows. it is just hard when we dont know what purpose a struggle is serving.
so, what do you all think about this issue of everything serving a purpose?

 

[kaykay9.0]

Those are some pretty deep theological questions, ones in which Christians don't always agree. I do think the Lord allows some things in our life that are hard sometimes to serve a purpose such as Paul's thorn in the flesh. However, healing is also taught in the New Testament in many places. In James, for example, we are told to call for the elders if we are sick and let them pray over us anointing with oil. And note that Paul did ask to have the thorn taken away. In short, I think we should in general, ask for healing/deliverance from our sicknesses and trials and in faith expect it. However, we also know that sometimes it would seem that the Lord allows something to continue for some purpose. Personally, I believe that this is more the exception than the rule and that often as the book of James says "we have not because we ask not." I think we also have to ask in faith expecting the Lord to undertake for us. But even if we receive healing or deliverance from a certain trial, I suppose just walking through it for the time we did probably served a purpose. We do live in a "fallen world" and the effects of that affect Christians as well, but I think as Romans 8 says that the Lord can use all things for good. Doesn't mean it IS good, but He can turn it for good.

For example, I am praying and asking the Lord for healing/deliverance from OCD tendencies, and I am praying that as well for everyone that posts here who is struggling. Again, Christians differ on their opinions of this kind of thing, but this is basically my .02.

 

[drummingman]

thanks for posting kay. i ask this question because of having ocd for most of my life and i try to find a purpose in having it all these years. i do and have begged for healing of the ocd but as is the lord has allowed the ocd to stay in my life. it can be very hard for me to see any good coming from my ocd in my life but i try to find some good out of having the ocd.