Why all of the suffering?

As a child i always seemed to be very sensitive to the issues of the world. My brothers and sisters would find me crying my eyes out, while watching a program on TV. They would wonder what was up with me. Why were things affecting me so deeply. Back then i didn't know where the emotions were coming from. All i knew, was that i felt things more deeply than most people.

I hurt for people when they hurt, on a deep level. I wanted to take away their pain. I knew that they suffered because there was something they didn't quite understand about life. Why wasn't anyone telling them why things were happening? As i grew older, i too wondered why people had to suffer. My desire inspired me to seek out the answers to the many questions of life. Are we born to suffer? Is life supposed to be painful? What's it all for anyway? Why can't life be easy and filled with joy?

These were the questions i have pondered on over the years. It has been a process finding the answers. So far, most of my questions have been answered. I share my findings with you here. The Bible says in Mathew 7:7, "Ask and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." I'm telling you that, you too can find the answers to your life's questions. I'm also telling you that, your suffering is not in vain. Nothing is put on us, that we can't handle. Nothing! So the question should be: Who is this person inside of me, that can handle this? Wouldn't you like to meet this person in you?

I have asked this question on many occasions, over and over again. Ostensibly, i knew intuitively, that God only gives us what we can handle. This inner knowing has fueled my passions. And has prepared me for my life's work. If you are suffering; and it seems like you can't take your suffering another day, another hour, another minute, another second........I refer you to: 1 Peter 1:7, in the Bible. "That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."

Your faith is being tried. It may look crazy. You may not understand what is happening to you. But hold on tight! There's something wonderful at work here! James 1:4 says it like this: "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." You are tried so that you will be made better by life. You are tried because you can handle it. You are tried because within you, is greatness. The greatness that is in you, has to be cultivated.

You are not familiar with the greatness that's in you. Your walk in life has only shown you a glimpse of your potential. So life has to bring this element of your nature to the forefront. You are capable of so much more. You have not met the part of you, that knows all things, that can do all things, and be all things. What i'm trying to tell you is that, you are divine! The things that you suffer, is acquainting you with this divine part of you. This part of your nature has the capacity to handle what you don't think you can.

James 1:12 "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." How does this scripture correspond to Romans 8:28 which says: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Answer: It is all saying the same thing. It is God's purpose to give you his promise. A crown is something you wear on your head. A crown is given to those of high stature. It's symbolized as wisdom.

This is why you must be patient. In time you will come to know why you had to suffer. You will come to know why you were tried. Why you had to go through what you went through. But notice it says, "Blessed is the man who endureth temptation." What is temptation? The urge to give up during a trial is temptation. If you give up long before the lesson is revealed, you won't get the lesson. When you give up, it means that you don't have the right attitude. The right attitude is the preequisite for uncovering the lesson. How so? With the right attitude you will be on the look out for the lessons.

With the right attitude you won't be in blame mode. You won't blame people, circumstances and events for what happens to you. You will have confidence in the unseen powers. This is faith. Faith is the unquestioning belief in God. With this unwavering faith, you will know that everything is happening for a reason. Trials and suffering don't come into your life to punish you. Everything is happening, so that you may fullfill God's purpose for your life. His purpose is linked to your suffering.

What do you mean Sherie, his purpose is linked to my suffering? For example: Some of us may have grown up in an abusive household. And we may wonder: "Why did i have to grow up in this household?" "Why did i have to have these parents?" The truth is that: If you had it your way, you probably would not have chosen to come under such circumstances. You would have chosen loving parents. Right? Or maybe you grew up poor and you were wondering: "Why did i have to grow up poor." "Why couldn't my parents have been rich?" Yeah i know, if you had it your way you would have been born to wealthy parents. Right?

I hear you! Really i do. But if you never had anything to overcome, you would never be able to develop yourself to your full potential. Nor would you ever be able to see the realm of possibility in yourself. You have potential well beyond your accomplishments! Did you hear me? All that you have done and accomplished thus far, has not even scratched the surface. You are capable of doing and being so much more! Are you hearing me here? The realm of possibility in you, can never be realized in you; unless life pushes your buttons. Life has to push the buttons in you, that have never been touched.

Within you are worlds that have yet to be discovered. In actuality, life is about: Uncovering, discovering and recovering, the things in you that have been lost. Something has to mine out of you, the hidden treasures within you. Another example: Some people come alive after a loved one passes away. Other's come alive after their child comes up missing. Look at the case of John Walsh. He produced the TV show, "America's Most Wanted." His son was abducted and murdered many years ago. His son's death gave him a cause to fight for. Now he helps other people bring to justice, those who have hurt or killed their loved ones. They may have had a child who was Kidnapped, a loved one who was murdered etc.

As crazy as it seems, his son's death may have given him his life's purpose. Had he not been tried by the incident with his son, he might not have had a reason to fight for others. Many people are being helped because of his misfortune. What about the child who grew up abused, and had overcome it as an adult? Is there some other person that could benefit from his/her wisdom? Is there someone they can share their experiences of overcoming with?

Some people who are abused as a child, grow up to be the best advocates for the abused. What about those who grew up poor and have overcome poverty? They can sometimes become some of the greatest teachers of the poor. You can emphatize more with those whom you can relate to. Why? Because you know what it's like, to go through what they went through. As the old adage goes, "You don't know a person until you have walked ten times in their shoes." Walking in another person's shoes, qualifies you to teach them and to help them. In you they will find an example of someone they can relate to, who has overcome.

Now is it becoming more clear now? "Why all the suffering?" I hope i'm making it plain here. I hope you are getting more clarity. I'm not done yet..... Now back to the above scripture: "Your trial is much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, to be found unto praise and honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ." What does this mean? If you endure through your trial, it will raise your faith. With the right attitude you will come to the "Christ Consciousness." This is what is meant by the appearing of Jesus Christ.

The "Christ Consciousness," is an elevated state of mind. It is the mind of a champion! The title Christ means: One who comes to crush the wicked. With this elevated state of mind, you can overcome anything. You will be able to crush the wicked, evil forces within and without you. These forces impede you from your good. These forces keep you from the success that you seek. These forces keep you from the happiness you seek, and the life that you could have.

The "Christ Consciousness" is an inner-knowing that conveys the fact that: Everything that is happening to you, is all good. The good and the bad. Another scripture to drive this point home further to you is: Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose." Notice the word "All." He didn't say some things, he said all things. But notice the exception here: "To them that love God." You must recognize God in all things first. He is the orchestrator that is pulling the strings in your life. Everything is happening for a reason. Nothing in your life, is happening just to happen.

Everything that is purified, is purified with fire. Gold is put through the fire first, before it comes out beautiful and shimmery. Diamonds start out looking like black coal, before they turn into crystal-like works of art. Our trials are the fire that can shape us into, beautiful works of art. Our trials are the circumstances that prepare us for our greatness.

So God is using the fire of our trials to purify us. He's using our trials to show us, the things that are hidden from our view. Without trials, we would have no way of knowing what is in us. You come into the world with gifts, talents and abilities. You also come into the world with a dark-side. This dark-side prevents you from having access to these gifts, talents and abilities. In life you need both components operating. You need the darkness and the light, to grow to your full potential. Some refer to these components as the yin and the yang.

You have to understand that, everything is being used to get you to see this. Pain and suffering in your life is indicative of the fact that, a change is needed. You can't stay the way you are. Who you are, is not who God intends for you to be. You can always do more, have more, and be more. Pain and suffering is the gift that nobody wants. But pain and suffering is necessary. No one grows without pain. Pain stimulates us into right action, by causing us to pay attention to life. If all we ever experience in life is joy, there would be no growth.

Pain forces us to do the work on ourselves, that we would otherwise ignore. It stops us dead in our tracks. When we suffer, we suffer because we believe there is something better we'd prefer. The lesson pain and suffering comes to share is: THERE IS SOMETHING MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS! Pain and suffering also means that: SOMETHING IN YOU NEEDS TO GROW. YOU CAN HANDLE WHAT HAS COME YOUR WAY.

I know you are saying, "Sherie what do you mean i can handle this?" "I have cancer, i'm dying! "I just lost my daughter." "I just lost my house." "I just lost my job, how am i going to survive." "My husband, the love of my life, was just murdered, for no reason at all!" "I'm in an abusive relationship." "What are you saying, that i can handle this?" That's exactly what i am saying. The better, higher, more evolved, wiser, infinite, opulent, better part of you knows this.

Instead of asking the question, "Why me?" Maybe you should ask: "Why not me." You should be flattered that life is choosing you, to be the best you can be. When life tries you, it is a divine opportunity to grow. Life is saying that you've earned the right to go to the next level. Remember this the next time life has you down in the dumps. Remember this the next time life throws you lemons. If you do, you can turn those lemons into lemonade! You can invite me over for a cool drink, and we can celebrate your overcomings!

Questions or comments....Please follow me on my websites:
http://www.livingyourblisslife.com
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Thank you for reading these words Sherie Hollis