Why Some People Endure

The Pain of Life

There is one universal experience across cultures and people groups. Pain. People have sufferred various ways and degrees throughout history on every continent. Injuries come. Death visits. Betrayal hits. Disease strikes. Some people have the endurance to overcome and continue lives filled with hope, yet others seem to lose hope and give up. Why is this?

It is inevitable for every human being to endure suffering. No one can escape it. Life is temporary and imperfect. People are sinful and selfish. Creation decays with time. Pain is universal.

The Limits of Man

Every man and woman will respond to pain and suffering differently. Each one has different experiences, different families. Different cultures teach different lessons about suffering. Some teach it as a learning tool. Others teach suffering as punishment from a God. Still others teach it as a random occurrance. 

No matter what culture teaches about suffering everyone has limits to their ability to endure pain. People can handle only so much disease in their lives before giving up, only so much death, only so many accidents. Certainly, perspective can prolong endurance. If a person uses suffering as an opportunity to learn a lesson he or she will respond differently than a person who thinks it random and meaningless. With too much suffering, though, everyone has a breaking point.

Questioning Spirits

After much suffering, people begin wondering what the point of life truly is. They begin questioning life. Is life worth living if it is filled with so much pain? Why should I continue pressing on if heartache is all I will be rewarded with?

People even begin turning to face their maker and question him about the meaning of life and the cause of suffering. 

Resolve

In the end people desire resolve. People desire to see their suffering count for something. If the perceived end result of suffering is simply more suffering, then people will likely lose all hope. If the perceived end result of pain is redemption, people are more likely to be encouraged to press on.

Are these tendencies in people good? Are they just? Are they right? Some of them appear good. Others appear selfish. But regardless of why people suffer one thing remains true: A person's perspective of the end result of suffering matters! 

Reflection

Job struggled with the end of his suffering. He did not know why God allowed him to experience such horrific pain. Job saw no redeeming end. Bildad assured  Job that God would restore him if Job repented. Job knew, though, that God did not bring calamity because of wickedness. Fortunately, Job's vision would eventually expand to include a much bigger God than he once knew.

So what about you? Do you see your pain as pointless or purposeful? Have you given up hope in the midst of your pain? Or do you endure suffering with vision of future redemption? 

I pray that you would lift up your eyes and see the God who redeems all things. He will not let you fall forever. He will lift you out of the pit and restore you.

Job 6:8-9 8  “Oh that I might have my request, 

and that God would fulfill my hope, 

 9  that it would please God to crush me, 

that he would let loose his hand and cut me off! 

Job 8:5-7 5  (Bildad) If you will seek God 

and plead with the Almighty for mercy, 

 6  if you are pure and upright, 

surely then he will rouse himself for you 

and restore your rightful habitation. 

 7  And though your beginning was small, 

your latter days will be very great. 

Job 9:1-3 Then Job answered and said: 

 2  “Truly I know that it is so: 

But how can a man be in the right before God? 

 3  If one wished to contend with him, 

Job 9:32-33 32  For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him, 

that we should come to trial together. 

 33  There is no arbiter between us, 

who might lay his hand on us both. 

Job 10:18-19 18  “Why did you bring me out from the womb? 

Would that I had died before any eye had seen me 

 19  and were as though I had not been, 

carried from the womb to the grave.