Bitter enough on its own

[God] makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45 ESV)

We often try to remove all suffering from life, without realizing we are causing a greater ill. It’s easy to forget that times of difficulty and trials are an integral part of life and can have positive effects, and we seem to easily lapse into thinking that they are a sign that there is something wrong with us, that our life is somehow jinxed, or that God has turned away from us.

Christ dismissed this reasoning by stating that good and evil are both liberally distributed in the world, with no distinction as to the religious or moral inclinations of the individual.

“In the world you will have tribulation,” Jesus told us. In other words, troubles are more of a guarantee than a stroke of bad luck. Actually, the process of tribulation can help us re-evaluate our lives, shed outdated mindsets, and discover our priorities.

Hardship is bitter enough on its own, without adding guilt to the package. We could grow so much more if we would embrace our trials as learning experiences, moments of profound significance that equip us to help others. [1]

As cold as everything looks in winter, the sun has not forsaken us. He has only drawn away for a little, for good reasons, one of which is that we may learn that we cannot do without him. - George MacDonald (1824–1905)

[1] Activated Forest Fire!