“Could Your Response Be Making Your Suffering Worse?” August 8
Not all suffering is the result of personal sin.
Sometimes we suffer because someone else sinned against us. Sometimes hardship comes through persecution, sickness, loss, or simply living in a fallen world. We should never assume we know why another person is suffering or carelessly accuse them of causing it.
But there is a question we should be willing to ask about our own suffering:
Could my response be making it worse?
We may have been genuinely wronged, yet respond with bitterness, sinful anger, revenge, withdrawal, substance abuse, sexual sin, or other destructive choices. The original hurt may not have been our fault, but our responses can add another layer of pain.
Today we’ll look at three heart-probing questions that can help us identify whether sin is complicating our suffering. We’ll also consider the important ministry God has given older believers and ask what truly makes someone a child of God.
