Guided Analysis: Suffering Worksheet Paper Example

Describe a time when you experienced a significant period of suffering. How did you deal with that experience? How did you find comfort in the midst of suffering?

I experienced a significant period of suffering when I lost my Father to Cancer. Being the first born of three children, I had to provide emotional support to my devastated mother and my two grieving siblings. During this period, my mother almost turned into a zombie, and all she could do was go to work and back home and lay in her bed. Despite the fact that I was in grief and in a state of confusion too, I had to work hard to keep my family together. After school, I would go back home, do all the housework, cook, go shopping, clean and ensure that my homework was also done. I was only 16 years old, and there was no way I would get a job to supplement the meager income my mother earned at the time. Days went by, and life became tough for all of us, and I began to realize that our lives would never be the same as they were before my fathers death. I feel into a state of depression and I would lock myself in my room and would barely go to school. All the odds seemed entirely too great, and I became very angry at the universe.

I, however, found comfort in the midst of my suffering when I began watching powerful sermons online. The preaching reminded me that as a Christian, our suffering is never wasted on God. The fact that we go through trials and tragedies does not mean that God has abandoned us. Instead, this means that God wants us to wake up and realize that the true meaning of life is not found in the material wealth that we have. The true meaning of life is found when we live according to our purpose, and it is through our trials and tribulations that God leads us into the depths of our beings and into the center of our soul where we feel our strongest passions. Besides, our God does not test us beyond our abilities. Although this was a terrible period for me, this constant reminder helped me maneuver through the grief like a champion.

Briefly summarize the problem of evil and suffering. Cite and reference the lecture and/or Chapter 9 in the textbook.

According to the Chapter 9 of the reading, it is evident that both evil and suffering came about after the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. After the two sinned against God, suffering and evil became a crucial part of human life. Nonetheless, God reminds us that it is through suffering that we develop and recognize what is good. More fundamentally, suffering brings out the best in humans as it humbles us and leaves our souls naked and bonded to Christ. This, in essence, allows our souls to feel our strongest passions.

Besides, suffering does not mean that God is not watching over us. God does care, and for this reason, our suffering is never in vain. God uses this to strengthen us. Many at times, different individuals have questioned whether it is still fair for God to allow people to suffer under the rebellion of Adam and Eve (Pacey, 2012). According to them those who have confessed their sins and repented before God for their trespasses should not be allowed to suffer in this world today. I, however, believe that as Christians, we are only tested for a very short time but God always remains faithful.

Briefly summarize the Christian worldviews response to the problem of evil and suffering. Cite and reference the lecture and/or Chapter 9 in the textbook.

The Christian response to the worldview exemplifies that the reason why evil exists in our world us because God created us with the free will. This, essentially, gives us a choice to either serve and love the sovereign God or serve and love ourselves (CWW-101, Lec.6). Therefore, with suffering being a part of our lives, we can maintain the knowledge of God and realize that God is greater than our pain (Palau, 2011).Imagine that a close friend has just suffered through a great personal loss (death of a loved one, natural disaster, disease, job loss, divorce, or a broken relationship) and your friend asks you why God would let such a terrible thing happen. How would you respond to your friend?

I would tell them that our God is good and he never forgets that we are his own. He, however, will allow things both good and bad to happen to us for a specific reason. When we are afflicted, God is always trying to reduce the power that we think we have in ourselves, change our thinking and in the end enables to trust and depend on him fully. With this in mind, the Bible tells us that we should rejoice and exalt God in your tribulations since beyond it all, the truth is that all our unfortunate tragedies are always under the sovereign watchful eye of God, and if we look closely, He is nearer than we would ever think. I, would therefore, pray that you will find peace and most importantly hope in God.

According to Chapter 7 in the textbook, how might the problem of evil and suffering lead one to the conclusion that moral absolutes exist?

By definition, moral absolutism is an ethical perspective that specific actions are intrinsically right or wrong regardless of the context of the act. Therefore, through the problem of evil and suffering, human beings get the chance to understand that despite the fact that we are tried and afflicted, people are bound to judge what happens to us. For instance, in the case of job and his suffering, those that were around him perceived his suffering as a consequence of a sin he had committed. One that he was able to hide from everyone else but God. Therefore, as Christians, we ought to understand that we live in a fallen world in which evil and suffering are bound to happen. This being said, understanding the problem of evil and suffering compels us to understand that what is perceived as morally upright is inherent in the laws of the universe which were in one way or the other, stipulated after the fall of man. This is inclusive of the sovereign nature of God, the nature of humanity or some other extreme beliefs.

References

Pacey, I. (2012). Christianity's Answer to the Problem of Evil. Retrieved from http://higherthings.org/myht/articles/catechesis/answerproblemevil

Palau, L. (2011, July 24). The Problem of Evil and Suffering. Retrieved from https://www.christianpost.com/news/the-problem-of-evil-and-suffering-52769/