Why Does God Allow Me To Suffer?

[Ceallaigh]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

 

[Carl Emerson]

How have you attempted to rectify the problem?

 

[Abaxvahl]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

Whatever evil God permits to exist is only for an even greater good. What the particular good is in allowing you to suffer this anxiety I have no idea, not even you may know until you see Him face-to-face.

There are general statements on suffering in Scripture though, perhaps some of them apply, such as through it character and hope being built, or that the just are tried in it, or that people learn obedience through it.

 

[SkyWriting]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

Morphine stops anxiety. It also stops your breathing. Thus are the trade offs to being alive.

 

[Ceallaigh]

How have you attempted to rectify the problem?

Well I was on meds once. But the problem is they did too good of a job and I started becoming fearless in a reckless way. These days I just ride out episodes.

 

[Ceallaigh]

What I'm really looking for here is are answers to the question of why God allows suffering. And to have discussion on the matter.

This is to understand God better.

 

[bèlla]

Why are you any different than those who came before? If Moses, David, and Jesus suffered. Why should you be spared?

~bella

 

[klutedavid]

What I'm really looking for here is are answers to the question of why God allows suffering. And to have discussion on the matter.

This is to understand God better.

Methinks it makes people reach out for God. When your comfortable and in a blissful state, you are unlikely to seek, to reach out for God.

 

[Blade]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

The way it should be said is " the age old lie". Christ already answered this did He not? "He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons." “How can Satan cast out Satan?" "If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand." "And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end." "No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."

Anxiety ...oh I Know this one. I have a choice.. to believe God or run to man for help. I said "I" its ME. Its always going to come down to faith. We can say the verses yet we must believe that if He said it He will do it. His word can not return to Him void. I again have a free choice here. His word OT said thousands of years ago is OLD or His word is not in time and space. Heres part.. is it old .. is it for you since as Issac was you are the children of promise. "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent." Do you believe stand on what He said?

How about "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

There are so many many more. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Heres truth.. we want whats written yet we don't want to pay the price to freely receive them. I can not stand on His promises and at the same time read what ever I want, watch what ever I want, speak anything I want. It will never work. There are to so many times our Lord goes far beyond to help us. Aka His mercy, His grace, His forgiveness.

Its like standing before GOD and He looks at you then points to Christ "by His strips you were healed". "He left you HIs peace not as the world gives". Why.. why read His word then search for what some man tells us what that verse really means? Its very wise to know how it was originally written but in the end all you get is what the man/woman personally believes. Now me.. why would I do this trust that when I have Yeshua/Jesus Christ the king of kings lord of lords.. I have the sweet holy Spirit in me.. He not man He leads He guides me into all truth. WHY would I ask man and not ask seek pray to Him to tell me what He was saying?

Yeah think He is seated at the right hand of the Father.. He is also with you in you.. WOW! Think.. He is IN US and we we don't seek even His console ever moment of ever day? Hes right there as we wake up.. Hes right there as we work, school. Hes right there when we fall asleep. He wants us to keep HIs word before our eyes day and night. He wants us to pray to Him about everything .. every tiny part of our lifes. WHY do you think He said that? So you will know the truth you will not listen to the enemys lies.

Don't believe a word I say.. yeah.. I am not truth He is. Seek ask HIM.. DON'T put Him on some time clock. You ask.. you KNOW He will answer.. oh and His will? Hello its HIS WORD! Tiny example of how I stand.. say fear pops up..no matter what.. no time limit. In the mist of fear.. "NO God has not given me the spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind. I have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard MY heart and mind through Christ Jesus." I then do not stand there.. hmm seems fear is still here.. I guess He wants me to fear or suffer..

NO! I do not walk by how I feel see or hear. He said WILL GUARD.. not maybe not if I FEEL IT. It pops up. I speak His word for Christ left me His peace not as the world gives. Does this work? A hello Hes GOD Hes my Father .. Christ is in me I am in Him.. duh every single time. He will not can not fail me.

As long as I buy into that lie and then take it.. its mine. Why to you think He told you to cast ALL not some but ALL your cares on to Him? HAHA Just don't think about .. just do it.. oh then relax.. He can take it.. He really can handle it all. He wants to .. Hes your FATHER! But we hold on to wont let it go. Then He can do anything.. ASK HIM. Think on HIM.. were told how to think and not ONE OF those is EVER negative Ever..

 

[Hillsage]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

Jesus wasn't born perfect, he was born sinless and it is suffering that produces perfection.

HEB 2:10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

He is our pattern to follow because he was made like unto us who are "brethren" IOW born again having the same spirit of Christ in us that He was born with.

HEB 2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brethren in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make expiation for the sins of the people. 18 For because he himself has suffered and been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted.


PS I am actually meeting with a brother tonight who has suffered from 'fear and anxiety' so bad he couldn't and hasn't been in church for months.

According to 'the bible' fear isn't 'just' and emotion. It is a spirit that causes an emotion.

2TI 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Deliverance is a possibility for our meeting.

 

[Lost4words]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

17 years i have suffered anxiety and depression. Been on meds all of that time.

Offer up your sufferings to God. Lay them at His feet, for the benefit of others.

Never doubt God. Persevere in prayer and love of God no matter how hard it gets.

God doesnt mind you asking Him why. Why you. Why me? Etc. Talk to God.

God bless you my friend....stay strong..

 

[fhansen]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

I believe God wants us to experience imperfection in a world that's sort of divorced from His direct control, a world that has elements of both heaven and hell, good and evil, where that good and evil are literally known. Here we might come to see of our need for something more, something "bigger" than ourselves, to develop a hunger and thirst for it, in fact, and so be all the more malleable to Him when He comes calling.

We have need of learning and acknolwedging the insuramountable differnce between Creator and created, and of our need for His perfection to make up for the inherent imperfection in anything that's not Him, any created thing IOW. Creation separated from God is not healthy but rather lost, sick, dead. But that "apartness" is essentially what Adam opted for and what we all experince the effects of -and experiment with- in this world. We really need to learn that, "Apart from Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

None of this makes suffering magically acceptable- but knowing that God is good and ultimately in control, that He, Himself, suffered an excruciatingly humiliating and painful death at the hands of His own creation, in spite of our sin, to prove a love so vast and wide and deep that we can only begin to comprehend and respond to it, at least means He identifies with our suffering, and His ressurection means triumph over the worst that sin and death can offer. Our suffering is temporary.

 

[SchmedlytheGreat]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age-old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

I think the question needs to change. You are asking a question in the context that God controls everything and therefore everything that happens is either:

• a direct result of His will being implemented in our lives, or
• Him permitting something at the behest of another (i.e., Satan).

Let me suggest that neither of these are true. They are not true because God allows everything to happen by default. Creation as we are seeing it is not an outward manifestation of His streaming will. We are in a free creation of the possible. If He allows anything to happen by default, then nothing that happens has any significance. The world we see is nature taking its course. Nature has a course, and unless intervention is made, it will proceed according to rules established at creation.
Solomon said that fate and circumstance happens to us all. And is this not what we all see in our daily lives and in the world around us? Not to say we cannot be saved from the effects of this fallen/falling world. And this revolutionizes our prayer and faith lives. Instead of being reactive to the dangers of fate and circumstance, we are to be proactive in our prayers and in our faith.
While God is NOT in control of everything, He can and will intervene in the world and our lives. And this is what we see in the world today. We live in a world where anything and everything can happen. A world where God intervenes and changes things. Salvation is an intervention. Healing is an intervention. Answered prayers are interventions.
When God created the world, He awarded everything the (sovereign) right to exist and to interact with everything else in creation.
Example of a free creation.
A rock sits on the side of hill. Winter comes and ice forms beneath and around the rock. Spring comes and the ice melts and the rock is dislodged from the side of the hill. The rock rolls down the hill and bonks you on the head. Course of nature. Fate. Circumstance. An accident. None of this had to happen but because we live in a creation of possible it can and did. This, I suggest, is a more accurate description of what we see around us in the world and in our lives. That rock did not need or ask permission to bonk you. There was standing permission for that rock to do what it did.
As to your medical issues. It is just as you describe. A chemical problem exists in your brain. That is all. Course of nature. The first thing to do is to stop thinking in terms of God allowing, permitting or causing such things to happen. We live in a fallen/falling world where ALL such things are allowed. No special permission was granted for this to happen to you. It is fate, circumstance, and the result of some biological accident. The next thing to do is to please God. This is more important than being healed, but it is also the path to healing. In order to please God, you MUST believe that He is AND you must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. It is your job to believe that He wants you healed and complete. Do not accuse or imply that He wants this malady to afflict you. It is not. He will change the "course of nature" for you and intervene on your behalf (and more accurately on behalf of Jesus, who endured stripes so that you would be healed).

 

[Hmm]

I don't know why there is suffering but we wouldn't be the kind of persons that we unless we lived in a world like this. You can imagine a world where brain chemistry operates on different rules whereby it always produces bliss and never anxiety but we would be a different kind of being.

I don't think even God could make people like us without a world like this but why He wants us to be like this I don't know. I'm sure he wants us to be compassionate and kind and this doesn't seem possible without suffering. It's small comfort to someone who is suffering but I hope the future reward of heaven will be so great that everyone will feel that their own suffering was worth it once they fully understand the reason for it.

 

[Chesster]

What I'm really looking for here is are answers to the question of why God allows suffering. And to have discussion on the matter.

This is to understand God better.

Bryan Cross gives a response to this that you may find of interest here:
A Catholic Reflection on the Meaning of Suffering

 

[bling]

If a person, including yourself at this time, is in a middle of a tragedy it is not the right time to be philosophical about tragedies, since Loving, serving, helping listening and spending time with the person is what’s needed.

Do not read further if this is the case and lets us work in Love on getting you through this tragedy.

Any pray a Christian makes it is understood if not said: “Not my will but your will be done”.

Sometimes our desires, unknown by us, will not help the kingdom to grow spiritually and in number, so we really do not want that pray to be fulfilled.

Paul prayed many times for his thorn in the flesh to be removed and it was not, because as Paul was later told, it was there to help him.

This messed up world (wars, famine, tragedies of all kind allow or even caused by God) is actually the very best place to help willing individuals fulfill their earthly objective.

We all look forward to being in heaven where there are no needy people, no sorrow, no death, and no sin.

This earth is not to be heaven, if we did not need this earth to be the way it is, we could all start out in heaven.

Is death bad in and of itself?

The same situation which strengths a person faith, will harden another person’s heart, so should God stop providing the message and/or the situation which will soften the accepting heart?


This world is full of tragedies, which can also be viewed as opportunities to help humans fulfill their earthly objective.

I see Jesus explaining it in John 9: 1-7.

In John 9: 1-7 you have a tragedy (the apostles are asking about a specific tragedy, but they do not know this individual and are thinking in general terms [you need to get into their head]).

Jesus does not say: “this tragedy was caused by: Adam/Eve sinning, Satan, sin, bad luck, God, free will or evil in the world (those have been our answers).”

Jesus does not say: “It was because of the bad that happened”, but does say: “This is for the good that can (and in this case will) happen.”

If you have lived for very long, you have seen good come from some tragedies, but why not all tragedies?

Is someone keeping good from coming from every tragedy?

Everything that is happening in the world right now (disease, natural disasters, and tragedies of all kinds) are not the result of the bad that has happened (or Adam and Eve), but is the result of the GOOD that can happen!

God is quenching His desire to have us all in a Garden type situation to help us fulfill our objective.


I had a grandchild diagnosed with HLH at 10 months and was barely alive and we were told she would die soon, but she is today a strong, smart, beautiful 16-year-old. I can only thank God for.

I also have a grandchild born with CP and thought my prays would cure him, like I thought my prays healed my granddaughter and was really disappointed when he only got worse. Now he is 11, 80 lbs. and cannot walk, talk, drink, use any part of his body and has health issues. I cried over this many nights, until I spent time with my grandkids while my son and wife took a much-needed eight-day trip to Hawaii. His older two sisters and brother, got up at 4:30 each morning worked together, in his room at 5AM, changed diapers, bathed him, gave him lots of medicine through a tube, fed him, clothed him and got him to the bus half mile away by 6:45. I helped little (they let me feed him) and take care of the animals on the farm. They were all so mature, worked as a team, care so much for their brother, I was amazed. The whole family counted him as a huge blessing. They enjoyed him, enjoyed each other and knew what it meant to serve others. I could say a lot more about the whole family, with a lot being the result of this one child.

 

[Bruce Leiter]

Why has God allowed me to suffer bad anxiety for many years on end? My anxiety is a medical condition. It's happens because of brain chemistry problems.

I'll have to say this a question a fellow anxiety sufferer asked me. For some reason I've never really pursued the age old question of why God allows suffering. So I'm looking for answers from those who have explored the issue more.

I would look at Bible passages like Job chapters 1 and 2 as well as 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 for some of the reasons that God allows suffering. In addition, God gives his peace to us through persistent prayers as in Philippians 4:6-7. In my case, God has allowed me to have three kinds of physical pain for more than three decades during which he gave me the callings to be a pastor and now a published author. I know that my pain is similar to Paul's "thorn in the flesh" and that he has taught me several lessons through my pain. Furthermore, God has given me his peace to accept pain as part of my life for more than two decades.

 

[Fervent]

Ultimately, the only answer that can be given is the one given to Job. Who can give counsel to the Lord on what is best, who has knowledge to know what will have the best outcome? What's more important than the cause is how we endure it, whether we take it as an excuse to turn inward and inflict suffering upon those around us or continue to perservere in spite of it. Knowing why wouldn't really alleviate the suffering. More perplexing to why God allows you, one who has done wrong, to suffer is why God chose to put the Blameless One to the cross for your sake.

 

[Bruce Leiter]

Ultimately, the only answer that can be given is the one given to Job. Who can give counsel to the Lord on what is best, who has knowledge to know what will have the best outcome? What's more important than the cause is how we endure it, whether we take it as an excuse to turn inward and inflict suffering upon those around us or continue to perservere in spite of it. Knowing why wouldn't really alleviate the suffering. More perplexing to why God allows you, one who has done wrong, to suffer is why God chose to put the Blameless One to the cross for your sake.

Another biblical way to endure suffering is found in all the Psalms, Lamentations, Jeremiah, Habakkuk, and Philippians 4:6-7. What is it? Well, it's not in the western culture, but the biblical pattern is lamenting, that is, sharing our honest feelings with God persistently, who allows but doesn't cause our suffering, until he gives us his promised peace to accept whatever suffering he has permitted for our spiritual growth.

 

[JAL]

What I'm really looking for here is are answers to the question of why God allows suffering. And to have discussion on the matter.

This is to understand God better.

This problem is known as the classic Problem of Evil, which is the atheist's most powerful objection to the existence of God. That title is a bit of a misnomer because the atheist's broader emphasis is the Problem of Suffering. Why does God allow suffering? In other words, the atheist wouldn't so strongly object to evil if God intervened to prevent the evildoer from inflicting pain.

Anyhow, R.C. Sproul is the only theologian I know of who admits the problem to be insoluble. After all, if God is infinitely self-sufficient, we can't explain why He would create a world where suffering is possible. To claim that He WANTED a world with free will is already blasphemy against an infinitely self-sufficient God - such a God is NEVER in need or want of ANYTHING. Naturally, then, R.C. Sproul rightly concluded that all historic "solutions" to the Problem of Evil are merely superficial.

I myself don't "solve" the problem - I rather bypass it altogether by building on the premise of a finite God instead of an infinitely self-sufficient one. In other words, I believe that God had at least one need remediable only by creating creatures with free will. He needed a bride to protect Himself from the (well-known) dangers of solitary confinement.

When God created the world in stages, at each stage He said, "It is good" - except when He created Adam, He said, "It is NOT good for man to be alone." He then fashioned a bride for Adam, thereby establishing that men NEED fellowship to remain psychologically healthy. And then by referring to the church as HIS bride, He seems to confirm that He too was in need of a bride, to remain psychologically healthy.

Sorry to point this out, but Yahweh is not the infinite, innately immutable, innately holy being that professional philosophers made Him out to be. If He were, His holiness wouldn't merit any worship because innate, unlabored traits do not merit worship. The only possible definition of merit is the following (seen on the cross):

Merit is a status achieved by freely choosing to labor/suffer for a righteous cause over an extended period of time.