By Chol Peter Majoh
Aside ending suffering or completely avoiding it, life itself is an endless struggle. It’s a 24/7/365 circle struggle from one’s birth to death and there’s no rest in it. In it (life), there is a lot to bear and that’s what we term as suffering.
Despite the fact that everyone desires to live a decent and happy life; yeah, a suffering-free life, avoiding suffering has never been an easy game. Instead, it (suffering) doubles when it sees you adding up zeal, efforts and plans to eradicate it.
Many people have tried to escape from the bleak of suffering, but not even one has managed to do that.
When I was still a teenager, I thought there would come a time to totally get rid of suffering. I just believed my suffering was due to my age, but as I continued to grow I later discovered that suffering also grows. People suffer, even the wealthy ones. Though suffering varies from one person to another, it feels the same. Its pain is the same.
Under the same sun, people suffer differently. There are people enduring the piercing hurt of poverty, others even suffer because of riches and some for different other reasons. People often think riches are a solution to suffering, but this is a big lie I have discovered in my youth. I met many people who suffered for their riches and they testified their wealth couldn’t help them in their suffering.
Have you ever heard about money dysmorphia? Money dysmorphia means feeling insecure and unstable despite having plenty of money in savings, a padded emergency fund, and being in a really stable financial position. You might have everything you’re supposed to have and still feel insecure about your money. That’s money dysmorphia.
Many rich people suffer from this feeling. They do not rest. And that’s why we shouldn’t esteem wealth above life or humanity. Respect life, respect humanity. Wealth is made by human beings and no wealth can make a human being. This is not the point I’m making, but my point, actually, is that, avoiding suffering is an endless struggle. You can’t completely avoid it. You can overcome it for some time and encounter it another time. It’s just like you (sometimes) solve a certain problem and another one arises but you continue to face them as life goes on. With suffering, whatever nature it is, all we can do is endurance. We need never to give up.
Get to know that God himself allows pain and suffering for a reason. Look, the bible says this: “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. ” Isaiah 48:10 KJV
Honestly, when u read this you realized that God has a hand in our afflictions for a reason. The prophet says God chooses affliction (suffering) to refine people. This means in affliction there are also some positive results.
When I read this, I was surprised. I just realized that God trains people to become perfect through suffering. It’s like, he disciplines us that way. For children to learn, the rod must be so close to the guardian or whoever is raising them. Without that, it’s becoming impossible for them to learn. Instead, this child grows horns and he or she becomes undisciplined beyond correction.
So, whenever we get into a situation that afflicts us, we should think of why God perhaps allowed us to get into it. And too, we should also put our minds in the aftermath of it. Like, what would be the results at its utmost end? Is there something so positive that would come out of?
In short, my emphasis is, in pain, make sure you learn a lesson worth learning right there. By that, you will become resilient. You will become someone experienced, who can thrive amid difficult moments.
Another author of the gospels says, “…. know that suffering works patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Romans 5:3-4 KJV
For all these reasons, God isn’t a fool to allow his people to suffer without any positive outcome. He allowed his only begotten son to suffer even to death for the sins of the world. And so, he allows you to suffer for the well-being of your children, family, or loved ones.
If you wake every morning to hustle to bring food on the table for your kids, therefore your suffering isn’t in vain. One day, you will enjoy the fruits of your struggle. Keep up the good work.
If your struggle is for the entire nation, especially you who are serving the masses in the public offices, do that with all you might. One day, you will reap from what you are now sowing.
Thanks for your time.
The author is a public relations practitioner, preacher of Hope and writer.