Why does God let some people suffer so much but others living a "blessed" life?

[Lea101]

Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!

God actual answers this, see the book of job, especially the part when God responds to job…

Did he actually answer? I remembered reading it a while back and I can only remember him basically calling Job out for being ignorant but he didn’t answer ‘why’. Instead he reminds Job that he is really powerful and everything.

Could be wrong though, I hated reading the old testament when i used to read the bible often

 

[Lea101]

So I just realized a priest kind of explained this recently

youtu.be/0NOTU1g0Z8w

Watch it, see whether you agree?

 

[oldgraymare2]

When I think about people with incurable things such as Dementia,Schizophrenia,or severe brain in any form etc and then I see other people living such blessed lives I wonder why does God allow it to be this way?

What is the purpose of these persons suffering and is there even a purpose?
Ie:Is it part of Gods plan or is it simply them being “dealt a bad hand of cards” due to the fall of Adam + Eve or whatever?

There have been other threads here on the forum about suffering, and Redemptive Suffering, if you want to do a search for them.

Maybe it “appears” as though someone else leads a blessed life.

If you were able to talk to them though, I’m sure that you would probably find out that they are carrying Crosses of their own, just like anyone else does. Things are not always what they appear to be, on the outside.

I think that it’s probably like Rosebud is saying in her posts: It’s just maybe the attitude that someone may have, and the way that they may choose to deal with something that comes along in their life.

 

[LethalMouse]

Were you referring to me as I’m the OP/thread maker?
If you were,that makes me a bit sad. because I’m not a why me type of person.
I’m not referring to my personal circumstance I was referring to observing the “disparities” between the (seemingly) blessed vs people that seem to be living endless suffering and I was feeling sad for them.
For me personally,I am blessed to have a great family and live in a country with often beautiful sunny weather

Regarding the saying “God doesn’t give you more than you…” Tbh I’ve always found that saying a bit disrespectful and flippant to the people suffering greatly.
For example,I’ve read of people who were carers for disabled people commit suicide and I feel really sad for these situations.
I think they did have more than they could handle and the sad thing is no one often was willing to help them.

Not specific, and not this thread by itself. But a overall tone of many who ask these questions.

I have weighed in on a couple of your threads before however and they do sound perhaps a bit why me. Given your statement here of happy life, I presume you, like me have a host of first world problems. I understand it gets easy to do some whoa is me, I dabble for a moment or two myself, especially before finding myself back at church.

And the CAN vs WILL handle is a major factor.

like addicts who once clean admit the difference between failed attempts and the successful was in the end their real desire.

It was never they “couldn’t” get clean, they just didn’t want to, not “really”

I smoke, I can see some merits in quitting but since I can not separate my minds as easily as most I quite literally am aware I have zero desire or interest in quitting. If I tried for some half butted reason I could fail and blame cigs addictive hold on me!!!

OR I could man up stop mental games and admit I WANT TO smoke.

same logic all around when we say what someone can/ can’t do.

 

[LethalMouse]

Elena321;14113874:

Exactly. I know a family friend (schizophrenic) who was ‘convinced by her illness’ to kill herself and I will not be told that people like her suffered because she was too full of self pity by people who simply do not understand tbh.

You do realize that (name removed by moderator)uts real or mental only give us ideas. The choice to execute is again ours.

it is common for schizos to see demons, okay lets say there is actually a demon telling you to murder or suicide?

“Nah bro I am good”

choice whether the demon was really there or not.

 

[LethalMouse]

Choices

scientificamerican.com/article/living-with-schizophernia/

I am not being mean, I am not saying I wouldn’t crack myself. I am not saying given a minute amount of more problems would not lend to me making all kinds of bad choices.

But I am simply aware they would be my choices.

I believe under my third person concept this article ties into that “core” person and that choice.

Plus this is a purely science secular deal, apply a true faith and love for God in there and I am sure there are ones we never even saw diagnosed. I would bet my bottom dollar.

 

[Rosebud77]

There have been other threads here on the forum about suffering, and Redemptive Suffering, if you want to do a search for them.

Maybe it “appears” as though someone else leads a blessed life.

**If you were able to talk to them though, I’m sure that you would probably find out that they are carrying Crosses of their own, just like anyone else does. Things are not always what they appear to be, on the outside.
**
I think that it’s probably like Rosebud is saying in her posts: It’s just maybe the attitude that someone may have, and the way that they may choose to deal with something that comes along in their life.

Oh so true… I had a very hard and insecure childhood and when I was first teaching was friendly with a teacher of my age and used to visit her home,

She lived in a lovely old farmhouse and her parents were gentle and kind and yes I envied her. I said that once and her reply… Apparently her father used to have a panic at the breakfast table repaying the mortgage and terrify them with threats of eviction etc… You just never know…

All reminds me of an old saying they found in one of the concentration camps… " Two men looking through the prison bars… One saw the mud, the other the stars, "

I choose the stars. Join me?

 

[Rosebud77]

Choices

scientificamerican.com/article/living-with-schizophernia/

I am not being mean, I am not saying I wouldn’t crack myself. I am not saying given a minute amount of more problems would not lend to me making all kinds of bad choices.

But I am simply aware they would be my choices.

I believe under my third person concept this article ties into that “core” person and that choice.

Plus this is a purely science secular deal, apply a true faith and love for God in there and I am sure there are ones we never even saw diagnosed. I would bet my bottom dollar.

I do not crack. I bend. Infinitely more painful. But now I know I bend and will suffer but will get through in the end. Feels like cracking is the problem. And I wish often I could crack. But no; stubborn… When things go wrong I am the one who keeps her head, deals with the emergency then when everyone else is oK I melt down.

 

[LethalMouse]

I do not crack. I bend. Infinitely more painful. But now I know I bend and will suffer but will get through in the end. Feels like cracking is the problem. And I wish often I could crack. But no; stubborn… When things go wrong I am the one who keeps her head, deals with the emergency then when everyone else is oK I melt down.

Idk if you are familiar with swords but a stainless steel is usually cheap like 25-75$.

A high carbon is usually hundreds to thousands.

Stainless will crack under a bending force and be useless

High carbon will bend quite far and go back to straight and slice things up.

Be glad you are not cheap

 

[Lea101]

Lea101;14113879:

You do realize that (name removed by moderator)uts real or mental only give us ideas. The choice to execute is again ours.

it is common for schizos to see demons, okay lets say there is actually a demon telling you to murder or suicide?

“Nah bro I am good”

choice whether the demon was really there or not.

But why do you act as if it is possible to be like “nah bro”.
As a sane person, you can easily think that.
For someone who is ill, the person cannot be rational even if he or she wanted to. It’s not just the way they think, they have actual chemical imbalances

For example, the anorexic girl who couldn’t drink water. She obviously know how ridiculous it was, not 100% of her believed that it will make her fat. But could she physically pick up the glass and drink it? No, she was sobbing uncontrollably and she kept crying about how thirsty she was. Now, if we were there, we would probably just scream “just drink it”. There’s more that goes on besides the ‘will’ to be positive! (Btw the girl was an actual patient at an ED ward)

So while there is nobody slapping her across the face and taking away her food, just like how there’s no demon physically forcing you to murder, it’s not something you can easily dismiss. It’s really not a case of willpower. More sympathy is needed, instead of telling them that they are weak or whatever people are implying here.

I may be paranoid but I feel like you two are subtly picking on me as opposed to referring to people OP was talking about…lol

 

[Rosebud77]

LethalMouse;14114174:

But why do you act as if it is possible to be like “nah bro”.
As a sane person, you can easily think that.
For someone who is ill, the person cannot be rational even if he or she wanted to. It’s not just the way they think, they have actual chemical imbalances

For example, the anorexic girl who couldn’t drink water. She obviously know how ridiculous it was, not 100% of her believed that it will make her fat. But could she physically pick up the glass and drink it? No, she was sobbing uncontrollably and she kept crying about how thirsty she was. Now, if we were there, we would probably just scream “just drink it”. There’s more that goes on besides the ‘will’ to be positive! (Btw the girl was an actual patient at an ED ward)

So while there is nobody slapping her across the face and taking away her food, just like how there’s no demon physically forcing you to murder, it’s not something you can easily dismiss. It’s really not a case of willpower. More sympathy is needed, instead of telling them that they are weak or whatever people are implying here.

I may be paranoid but I feel like you two are subtly picking on me as opposed to referring to people OP was talking abou

t…lol

Ah so because we state opposite views from you we are picking on you! That is a very interesting and revealing thing to say!

 

[Lea101]

Lea101;14114284:

Ah so because we state opposite views from you we are picking on you! That is a very interesting and revealing thing to say!

Well your previous posts were pretty passive aggressive…

Oh well. I’m a very interesting and revealing person.

 

[Rosebud77]

LethalMouse;14114174:

But why do you act as if it is possible to be like “nah bro”.
As a sane person, you can easily think that.
For someone who is ill, the person cannot be rational even if he or she wanted to. It’s not just the way they think, they have actual chemical imbalances

For example, the anorexic girl who couldn’t drink water. She obviously know how ridiculous it was, not 100% of her believed that it will make her fat. But could she physically pick up the glass and drink it? No, she was sobbing uncontrollably and she kept crying about how thirsty she was. Now, if we were there, we would probably just scream “just drink it”. There’s more that goes on besides the ‘will’ to be positive! (Btw the girl was an actual patient at an ED ward)

So while there is nobody slapping her across the face and taking away her food, just like how there’s no demon physically forcing you to murder, it’s not something you can easily dismiss. It’s really not a case of willpower. **More sympathy is needed, instead of telling them that they are weak or whatever people are implying here. **

I may be paranoid but I feel like you two are subtly picking on me as opposed to referring to people OP was talking about…lol

Ah kindly meant but no. Sympathy as opposed to empathy, weakens. There are times when an injury needs eg a crutch or walking stick and times when it needs to be worked.

And yes it is almost always a matter of will power

An old lady I knew whose world view was of the pavement as she was so bent over with osteoporosis,used to say. "There are always two men in my bedroom. ARTHUR ITIS and WILL POWER. She could have stayed home but she CHOSE to get out regardless.

I always remember her when I am at my darkest. Florrie;God bless you!

 

[signit]

In life, some who are given many advantages must also achieve much to fulfil God’s purposes for their life. “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.” Lk 12:48. On the other hand, those whose lives seem filled with unwarranted burdens and obstacles need only survive, while trusting that God’s omniscient mercy will always accommodate those sufferings with justice. This very scenario is played out in the Book of Job.

This is really outstanding.

This is similar to something I think about every day.

Years ago when I was in graduate business school, and I wasn’t one of the people getting job offers, my father said, “How many people from your circumstances have accomplished what you have?”

And that makes a lot of sense.

I don’t have millions of dollars to give to my church and it sometimes bothers me that I don’t, but I have to step back a bit and recognize that I didn’t have very many advantages in life, either, and I did the best I could with what I had. So maybe God doesn’t really expect me to give a million dollars to my church.

 

[Lea101]

Lea101;14114284:

Ah kindly meant but no. Sympathy as opposed to empathy, weakens. There are times when an injury needs eg a crutch or walking stick and times when it needs to be worked.

And yes it is almost always a matter of will power

An old lady I knew whose world view was of the pavement as she was so bent over with osteoporosis,used to say. "There are always two men in my bedroom. ARTHUR ITIS and WILL POWER. She could have stayed home but she CHOSE to get out regardless.

I always remember her when I am at my darkest. Florrie;God bless you!

I say sympathy not empathy because I’ll never be able to understand what they are feeling

 

[Elena321]

Not specific, and not this thread by itself. But a overall tone of many who ask these questions.

I have weighed in on a couple of your threads before however and they do sound perhaps a bit why me. Given your statement here of happy life, I presume you, like me have a host of first world problems. I understand it gets easy to do some whoa is me, I dabble for a moment or two myself, especially before finding myself back at church.

And the CAN vs WILL handle is a major factor.

like addicts who once clean admit the difference between failed attempts and the successful was in the end their real desire.

It was never they “couldn’t” get clean, they just didn’t want to, not “really”

I smoke, I can see some merits in quitting but since I can not separate my minds as easily as most I quite literally am aware I have zero desire or interest in quitting. If I tried for some half butted reason I could fail and blame cigs addictive hold on me!!!

OR I could man up stop mental games and admit I WANT TO smoke.

same logic all around when we say what someone can/ can’t do.

I guess,like many people,I am multifaceted
The only area I am “why me” in is in relation to my looks but even then,not so much why me as simply sad.
I think it’s natural that people can become sad if losing looks (or not having them in the first place) due to the now beauty obsessed/social media world we live in.
Women from Africa have these feelings too so first-third world problems.

I think the way that we look at people addicted to drugs can not be looked at the same way when talking about people with illnesses such as Dementia’s,Schizophrenia,other brain illnesses or injuries etc because those people can only do with what tools they have.
Eg.the notion of will comes from the brain itself,and if that area of their brain is affected the capacity for will can also be.
Also,if they don’t have the “tool” of effective treatment (medicines,operation or other) then they can’t “overcome” even if they have the capacity for will & desire to.In some cases there simply is no effective treatment for people.
If they lack the “tool” of good doctors (unfortunately often common even in the modern worlds) they can’t overcome.
Another factor-poverty (in instances where there might be an effective treatment but they can’t afford it).
Also,if the “tool” of insight is missing (ie:some mental illnesses & TBI can cause lack of insight into their impairment due to the insight area of the brain being damaged) they can’t woke with what they don’t have.

I feel these people can only do accordingly to the “tools” that they have.
A notion that anyone can overcome anything can lead to a public mentality of lacking compassion & then what would happen to the Christian notion of helping those in terrible situations?

 

[Elena321]

Lea101;14113879:

You do realize that (name removed by moderator)uts real or mental only give us ideas. The choice to execute is again ours.

it is common for schizos to see demons, okay lets say there is actually a demon telling you to murder or suicide?

“Nah bro I am good”

choice whether the demon was really there or not.

I don’t want to refer to them as Schizo’s
The difference between you and someone with Schizophrenia is that your ability to “test reality” in intact but theirs isn’t.
They arn’t only afflicted by voices but also by the incapacity to distinguish between what is reality versus what isn’t.
Eg:if they hear a voice saying that someone in their family is going to kill them for example,they lack the ability to reason and rationalise that that’s not true.

 

[Lea101]

LethalMouse;14114174:

I don’t want to refer to them as Schizo’s
The difference between you and someone with Schizophrenia is that your ability to “test reality” in intact but theirs isn’t.
They arn’t only afflicted by voices but also by the incapacity to distinguish between what is reality versus what isn’t.
Eg:if they hear a voice saying that someone in their family is going to kill them for example,they lack to ability to reason and rationalise that that’s not true.

Wait i didn’t call them that?

Edit: whoops it wasn’t me. Thought I was going crazy or something lol!

 

[LuciaPacifici]

But the previous poster made a point about how it’s “for” healthy people (for example), how they make a difference to these people. It’s annoying for a sick person/someone who is suffering to hear that, but I personally do not see any other explanations atm.

I don’t necessarily think this is the case. If a sick or suffering person exists, it is so because God allowed it to bring a greater good. These people do not exist to make life even better for the healthy by allowing them to do works of mercy. It is more that, God is especially close to suffering people, and yes He also expects the healthy to take care of the sick–but He did not create the sick just for the benefit of the healthy. That completely dehumanizes them.

God is perfectly just and will make up for any losses anyone has suffered in the end, providing we are true to Him.

 

[LuciaPacifici]

This is one of those things that makes perfect sense in theory but frankly can only be achieved through tremendous graces.

I’m not sure how old you are, LM, but expecting people who are undergoing incredible suffering to just “man up” and “stop whining” and “hey, smile, dude!” is rather naive.

To respond with complete acceptance to extreme pain is not normal. It’s an example of heroic virtue and potentially deep holiness, and would be something that would work in one’s favor for canonization.

You are right. I used to be harder on people who struggled with anxiety, for example, because my life was such that many people depended on me to be a strong rock. Once I got out of that I felt nervousness and such about life I had not felt before, and I felt bad for judging anxious people for not just getting over it.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.