Suffering from God's Perspective: Learning to Overcome Most of Your Pain

By Jeff Biggerstaff

Many Christians suffer because they don’t fully understand who God is. People who are not Christians understand Him even less. If we knew what God expects of us and what He wants us to know and understand, then we would experience His blessings instead of suffering as we sometimes do.

The author has been a dedicated Christian for 30 years. This book offers basic truths about God that he believes are needed by every Christian (and non-Christian) who wants to reduce the amount of suffering in their lives. The book begins with the most fundamental truths, then builds on those truths to assist readers in increasing their understanding. The truth of the Gospel has not changed in 2000 years. However, our understanding of the Gospel has grown, as each generation of Christians understands more than the previous generation.

The author believes this book contains the next steps in increasing our knowledge, as we draw deeper wisdom from the scriptures to reduce our suffering. God offers us eternal life in a heaven filled with His mercy and goodness, and He offers us the same here on earth. There is no future other than the future that God offers us, through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on the Cross. Jesus died on the Cross, so we can live our lives full of grace and peace. We should also experience many of God’s miracles as we live out our lives here on earth. This will happen if we choose to listen to His Word and believe and follow His Word. God looks closely at the quality of our decision making, since our decision making will determine the contentment of our lives. The author has entered God’s rest and so can you.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Jan 10, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662915512

Book preview

Introduction

Since the beginning of mankind, people in this world have questioned why they go through periods of suffering. In ancient times, people performed various rituals and made sacrifices to their gods to alleviate the sufferings caused by famine, hardships, wars, diseases, plagues, the deaths of friends or relatives, and much more. In modern times, a job loss, a financial setback, the death of a loved one, a failed marriage, cancer or other chronic medical conditions, even a pandemic are just some of the ways that people still suffer.

For all of mankind’s accomplishments throughout history, man has yet to eliminate the basic sources of suffering in people’s lives, nor has he provided any permanent solutions to these problems. Mankind’s ability to eliminate hunger, poverty, disease, financial instability, aging and the prevention of wars (and rumors of wars) seems to elude him. According to the Bible, this will always be the case (Matthew 26:11, Mark 13:7-8). However, there ARE good answers to the questions of why we suffer personally and what can be done about it.

It has taken the author 30 years to prepare to write this book. During this time, he has looked at a number of other books throughout the years on the subject of suffering. Many of these authors have written about turning to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the Bible for comfort in times of suffering, and the author believes this is a good thing. In writing their own books, the other authors intended to draw on their own experiences with suffering, to guide and comfort their readers as they walked through their own periods of personal suffering. Many of these authors have turned others to Christ, and this is also an excellent thing. The author’s purpose is essentially the same as the purpose of the other good authors on this subject.

However, the author believes this book will be somewhat different from the other books on this subject. This is the book he had always been searching for, but never found. He believes that if he had found a book like this one, it would have saved him years of difficulty in trying to find the answers to suffering that he had always been looking for. Unlike some of the other authors, this author chose to discuss his personal suffering near the end of the book, instead of near the beginning. He did this to assist his readers in getting a head start on understanding the causes of suffering and what can be done to prevent most of it. He also did this to establish certain principles and explanations regarding suffering before getting into his own story, to make this story easier to understand.

Parts of this book might seem controversial, as it appears to step on a few religious doctrines. However, everything written in this book is based on a solid scriptural foundation. In the one instance where the book departs from this scriptural foundation, the author plainly says so.

Since the author became a dedicated Christian 30 years ago, he has become a keen observer of God, how He interacts with His Word and His people, and what He allows and doesn’t allow. Back in the early days of the author’s suffering, he hungered to know who God was, and what His purpose was in allowing mankind to suffer as we sometimes do. Since then, he has become very dependent on God for everything in his life. While it took years to get to this point, he now lives a life full of God’s grace and peace. The author has been hungry and willing to know God, about as intimately as it seems possible to know Him. He has also been willing to conform himself to God’s ways of doing things, instead of his own ways.

This willingness to conform and the quality of the decisions he has learned to make, has had a profound impact on his life, as he has been able to eliminate most of the suffering in his life. However, he cannot change the free will decisions of other people, and how their poorer decisions impact the lives of others. Therefore, we will never be able to fully eliminate this area of suffering, as long as we reside on this earth. We can pray and ask God to persuade the people around us to have a change of heart. However, even God will not override the free will decisions of others (with a few exceptions involving those in authority).

The author’s purpose in writing this book, is to communicate some of the more important steps he went through maturing as a Christian, to arrive at the place of God’s rest. It was the circumstances of his suffering regarding his daughter (discussed in chapter 13), that drove him to seek intimacy with God. It took the author many years to understand as much as he knows now, that has led him to this place of God’s rest (Hebrews 4:1-10). He is hopeful that by sharing these experiences of Christian growth, he can help others reduce their suffering and take years off these important maturing processes.

This book is basically divided into three sections. The first eight chapters impart a solid scriptural understanding of why we suffer, God’s purpose in it, and how we can eliminate most of it. The next four chapters describe specific areas of character development that each person should strive for as they mature as Christians. The last two chapters describe the impact iniquities can have at a personal and a national level, where the majority of a people in a nation become overwhelmed with iniquities. Iniquities are traditions and personal behaviors that either consciously or unconsciously cause people to gravitate towards certain kinds of sin. These iniquities are passed down from generation to generation within families and can cause a great deal of personal and national suffering.

Throughout the book, there are a number of scriptural references that seemed most relevant to the experiences and spiritual processes the author has written about. He is well aware that different people have different scriptures that are more meaningful to them, as the Word of God can speak to each person in a unique and personal way. He could not hope to include all the possible scriptural references that could be relevant to each topic. Therefore, he included the scriptures that he thought would most easily connect the topic being discussed with the Word of God. The author has also written a number of true stories as examples to illustrate certain points. Except for his own stories, he has not included names, locations, or time periods, to prevent the embarrassment of the people involved.

The author wants to thank God for guiding him into this wonderful life and in helping him to write this book. He had no idea when he started this walk as a dedicated Christian all those years ago, that he would end up with a life as good as this one. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your indescribable mercy and gifts.

The author also wishes to thank his wonderful wife Donna, for her contributions to this book, including her gift of editing to correct the author’s typos, grammar, and spelling errors. Donna also has a gift of discerning the continuity and logical flow of each chapter, and she graciously used these gifts for this book. Thank you, my Love. The author also wishes to thank Jessica Bushore for her help in getting this book ready for publication.

Jeff Biggerstaff

CHAPTER 1

Suffering from God’s Perspective

Why is the world full of suffering? This question is often asked by agnostic authors such as Bart Ehrman and others, as well as millions of other individuals throughout the world. There are many variations of this most basic of questions. Why do millions suffer and die of cancer or other terrible diseases such as the Bubonic Plague or the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic? Why did megalomaniacs such as Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and Chairman Mao lead millions into so called grand utopias, only to discover they were full of evil, repression, and death? Why are there so many personal tragedies such as a divorce, the death of a spouse, a suicide, the early death of a child or parent, or financial ruin? The list of national and personal tragedies goes on and on. Why is it this way? Can feeding the poor and lending a helping hand to those in need, really change the condition of this suffering? Can anything be done to alleviate the suffering that is in the world?

There are a bewildering number of places to turn to, that appear to offer some answers to these questions about why there is so much suffering in the world and how to minimize it. Intense periods of suffering can sometime lead to periods of deep personal reflection about the meaning of life. Some of the fundamental questions a suffering person might ask are, Why am I suffering? or What is my reason for being here? or What is my purpose in life?. In this search for meaning, we are often disappointed in the conversations and the dialogue of others, who are also searching for the same answers.

Philosophical systems can sometimes provide fragmented answers but fall far short of offering satisfactory answers. While the author once looked to philosophers and their systems for answers, he now considers philosophers to be merely clever people who are as lost and devoid of answers as everyone else. Philosophical systems usually do not deal with life after death issues, but instead attempt to provide a framework to deal with life’s problems in the here and now.

Religious systems on the other hand, DO deal with life after death issues, but impose confusing rituals, periods of self-denial, rules and regulations that seems to have no clear purpose or meaning. Some of these systems impose limits on the number of persons who can get into the club of eternal life, and the activities required to qualify for this eternal membership. Other religions give multiple chances to get it right throughout the course of several lifetimes. Still others have us coming back as lower or higher lifeforms, depending on the quality of the decisions made in past lives. All of this can seem contradictory and confusing.

While some may argue against the validity of the Holy Scriptures contained in the Christian Bible, if the Bible isn’t the real Word of God, then we have no real foundation for hope. If we know where to look in the Bible, the scriptures give us the answers as to why so much suffering exists in the world.

Romans 8:18-22 (NKJV)

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

The author believes the two most important words in this passage are futility and liberty. Futility is translated from the Greek word "mataiotes, which means devoid of truth or appropriateness, perverseness, and depravity. This word (and similar Greek words) also means work and effort that comes to no profit, corruption, vanity, stealing, killing, and destroying. Liberty is translated from the Greek word eleutheria". This word (and similar Greek words) mean freedom from the bondage of futility and corruption, freedom to live as one pleases without fear of stealing, killing, and destroying. These words also mean freedom to live without poverty and disease.

To many people (including the author), verse 20 in this passage is perhaps the single most offensive verse in the entire Bible. Many have suffered throughout mankind’s history, and many who are reading this book have suffered, some terribly so. Verse 20 says that God Himself subjected the creation to futility, and this subjection went AGAINST our free will as human beings. In other words, we did not choose to be subjected to futility, God chose this for us. God did not subject the world to futility without hope, He subjected the world to futility WITH hope.

Some will ask, why did God choose to do this? What was He thinking when He subjected the world to futility? Didn’t He realize that millions of people throughout human history would be angry and resent Him for subjecting the world to such evil? Did God leave us with a means to overcome the suffering, and did He leave us with spiritual tools to use, to resist the evil that is in the world? He most certainly did, and the author will be discussing the implications of these spiritual tools throughout this book. Contrary to what many might think about God subjecting the world to futility, the author believes that God knew EXACTLY what He was doing when He did this. A thoughtful examination of other scriptures begins to reveal God’s purpose in subjecting the world to futility.

Revelations 12:3-4, 7-9 (NKJV)

3 And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4 His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. 7 And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, 8 but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. 9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Unlike human beings who see the passage of time as linear time with a past, a present, and a future, God sees all time periods at once. The Revelations 12 passage above is an example of this. The seven heads, ten horns, and seven diadems are the form of the end times’ government, which the author believes is not fully here yet. The fiery red dragon (a symbol of Satan) appears to be an integral part of this end times’ governmental structure. The tail of the dragon took a third of the stars and threw them to the earth, which the author believes represents a third of the angels who followed Lucifer, when he rebelled against God. The woman ready to give birth to a Child could mean either the nation of Israel, or perhaps Mary herself who was ready to give birth to Jesus.

The most interesting and revealing verses in this passage are verses seven through nine. War broke out in heaven. War breaking out in heaven is NOT something that most of us ever think about, when we think about what heaven will be like. The scripture says that during this war, Satan and his angels fought against the archangel Michael and his angels. Furthermore, the passage states that Satan’s forces did not prevail. Then the scripture says that Satan was cast out of heaven to the earth, and the angels that fought alongside him were cast out with him.

In the author’s opinion, this passage has enormous implications. First and foremost, this passage seems to confirm that heaven is a place where free will exists. The proof of this rests on the following facts, as they are presented in scripture. Lucifer (Satan’s good name before he rebelled) had free will to make the choice to rebel against God (Isaiah 14:12-14). Lucifer, with his free will, expended the necessary energy and effort to convince a third of the angels to follow him. The third of the angels who followed him made the free will choice to abandon God as their King, and to choose Lucifer as their new king.

There were of course consequences to the decisions that were made, in that these created beings who rebelled against God started a war and afterwards were ejected from heaven. All these acts demonstrate that heaven is a place where all created beings are allowed to exercise free will. They are also allowed to make decisions and choices based on that free will, whether for good or evil. It is worth stating again, that this is NOT what most human beings expect heaven to be like. God does not allow futility to exist in heaven, at least not for very long, but he does allow it to exist here on earth.

Isaiah 9:6-7 (NKJV)

6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

This passage hints that something will be very different in the heaven of the future. Previously the angelic population of heaven had decreased by a third due to Lucifer’s rebellion. In the future there will be nothing but continual increase. So, what will happen in heaven that will make this change possible? Will the future occupants of heaven be different somehow? It’s clear from passages such as Matthew 12:31-32 and others, that free will itself will NOT change or be done away with.

Matthew 12:31-32 (NKJV)

31 "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Jesus said that speaking against (or blaspheming) the Holy Spirit will NOT be forgiven men, in this age OR in the age to come. The fact that one COULD blaspheme the Holy Spirit in the age to come (thus requiring Jesus’ warning) indicates that free will will still exist in the age to come, after God’s work here on earth is finished. Thoughtful reflection on this fact, would seem to suggest that Lucifer violated this very commandment, when he made the effort to deceive the angels that followed him in his rebellion and subsequent war. Presumably, Lucifer must have convinced a third of the angels that God’s works by the Holy Spirit were actually HIS works. This is similar to the Pharisees blaspheming the Holy Spirit when they accused Jesus of casting out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons (Matthew 12:24). The Pharisees said these things out of envy and jealousy for their positions as religious leaders. This is similar to Lucifer’s motives when he attempted to lift himself up to be like God, when he started the rebellion in heaven (Isaiah 14:12-14).

Having free will to make our own good decisions and volunteering to follow and serve God, is at the very heart of the Gospel. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He responded by saying we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:28-34). However, whether we choose to do this or not is entirely our decision, as God will not make us do this. Instead, He commands (or strongly recommends) that we do this. Since the decision is ours, regarding whether we choose to love our neighbors or not, would at least partially explain why there is so much suffering in the