IS LIFE ADVERSRIES PUNISHMENT FROM GOD?

IS LIFE ADVERSRIES PUNISHMENT FROM GOD?

Has a traumatic event in your life caused you to ask if God intends for you to suffer adversity? A sudden illness, a crippling accident, or an untimely death in the family may make us feel that we are being singled out by God for punishment.

       Contrary to such thoughts, you should feel comforted that God wants people to be happy and free from harm. This is seen in the fact that when God created the first humans, he put them in “the garden of Eden”, a park like paradise, where life would be free of all adversity. (Genesis 2:15)

Regrettably, the first human pair chose to turn their back on this wonderful prospect and willfully disobeyed God. The result was calamitous not only for them but also for all their offspring, include us. Why? The situation can be likened to what results when a family head reneges on his agreement to pay rent-the entire family get evicted from their home and are exposed to hardship and deprivation. Similarly, adversity has become the lot of all humankind since the first rebellion. (Romans5:12) Many years later, the righteous man job lamented that if his pain and suffering could be “put on scale” they would be “heavier even than the sands of the seas.”

While you wait for God to eliminate adversity completely, what can you do now to minimize its effect? First and foremost, ”do not lean upon your own understanding,” the Bible admonished us, but “trust in God with all your heart.” (proverb3:5)  Look to him for guidance and comfort. Pay attention to the godly wisdom found in the Bible. It will help you to make wise decisions and protect you from those adversities that can be avoided. (proverbs 22:3)