No one likes to talk about suffering and few know really what affliction is. According to the online dictionary, affliction is a condition of pain, suffering and distress. I want to add that the pain doesn’t have to be physical; it can also be mental or emotional pain. Whatever it is that we are going through, I sincerely believe that God can use it to teach us about others and about ourselves.

God comforts us when we are in the midst of our suffering, but why would He do that? God’s desire for us is that we get closer to Him, lean into Him during our times of hardship. That way, when we see other suffering, we are more likely to recognize what they are going through and be able to reach out a helping hand and an open heart to them. God’s plan for us is fellowship, with Him and with one another. Unfortunately, many of us don’t want to admit our need for others until there is a crisis that we are facing. Then, we reach out. I hope that we reach out to God first and then to other people, but that depends on how close your relationship to God is. Do you trust Him to help you through the suffering or do you sit back and whine and blame Him for it?

For example, it’s difficult to really comfort someone who has just lost a parent without having suffered that loss yourself. Yes, you can say the right words and give the hugs, but the real understanding comes from having gone through it and come out on the other side. The important thing is to be there, ready and willing to help carry the burden until the load gets lighter. Having been there, you will be more likely to notice when the other person needs you desperately, even when it’s the middle of the night. I am not saying that you cannot be compassionate unless you have suffered yourself. What I believe is that you see the event with different eyes if you have experienced it.

Does God want us to suffer? No, because He is a loving Father. Sometimes our suffering is due to our own bad choices. Sometimes, it’s because sin is in the world and Satan is wreaking all of the havoc that he can since his time is short. Whatever the reason, God doesn’t cause the suffering but He will use it to teach us how to be patient, how to persevere, how to trust Him; in short, God uses suffering to help us to be more like Him if we are willing to put ourselves into His capable and loving hands. Then, after we have come through whatever it is, God can use us to help others. No one likes suffering and affliction. There isn’t a long line with people clamoring, “Yeah, sign me up!” But since we are well aware that it’s going to happen, we might as well have our hearts ready to lean on God and to go through it to the other side, with our eyes open to the opportunity that God may present just because of our suffering.