Hello foreverfound,

I don't think that all pain is equal between humans. We can see that different people in the bible have gone through different circumstances. Take Job for instance, I'm quite confident to say that many people have not undergone the type of pain that he has gone through. But how, do we measure pain, whether emotional or physical? Emotional pain is sometimes greater than physical pain and takes longer to heal.

Whatever it is, when we have given our lives to God, I believe that all circumstances that we go through has to be allowed by God. Although sometimes we can deliberately step out of His hedge of protection and His will and bring additional suffering to ourselves, God is still able to turn everything for good for us. We can see this in the story of Job, of Joseph and of David. The important thing is sometimes not just the circumstances, but how we respond to them. It is whether we choose to become better or we choose to become bitter. We only become bitter when we believe that things cannot get better.

Circumstances sometimes break us and it is broken people who fully understand the grace of God and pursue Him.

Having said all these, God knows how much we can endure. Different people may endure different levels of suffering and pain depending on their capacity. God has promised always, that He will not let us go through something that is beyond our endurance and He will provide a way of escape.

[1 Corinthians 10:13]
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Here the bible is also telling us that such temptations are common to man. In other words, we are not the only ones who have gone through this. We are still living in an imperfect world with imperfect people and suffering and hurt is unavoidable.

But as evident throughout the whole bible, all of us go through different experiences. Because we go through different experiences, if we can pass through the experience victoriously, we are able to use this experience to minister strength to others:

[2 Corinthians 1:4]
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

I find that I tend to understand more things the more I go through life's experiences and I also find that it is difficult for someone to comfort me unless they have gone through a similar trial. It is not that it is impossible, but the person who has gone through similar sufferings can identify with me.

Sometimes we don't have to look for a specific verse in the bible, we can look at the lives of the people in the bible and learn from their lives. 

changed on Tuesday, August 22, 2000 1:03:17 PM