Someone is born with down syndrome; another person gets cancer; yet another has a terrible accident and becomes a paraplegic. Why does life just seem so unfair? There are two ways most people deal with this:
- Moan, complain, and regret. Bitterness, self-loathing, and depression is one common response to pain and suffering in life. However, what does this really accomplish? It just makes one more dependent on emotional help from others and medications to cope with these destructive attitudes.
- Accept that life is not fair. Realists try to suck it up and just make the best with the cards they have been dealt. I believe this to be a much more sensible reaction if it can be pursued. However, I have experienced that there are times when it is difficult if not impossible to have this realist outlook on life.
I have engaged in both of these responses. I even blogged here about how life is not fair and to simply focus on accomplishing everything you can given your condition without comparing yourself to others.
However, I cannot seem to really embrace this perspective. Perhaps others are stronger than I, but for me it still fosters a sense of bitterness, regret, and despair, as much as I fight against these feelings. I am now in the habit of forming personal empowering beliefs that have the possibility of being true and whole-heartedly embracing them in my philosophy on life.
So, in dealing with pain, I have decided to believe that life IS fair. That ultimately, somehow, compensation will be made if I deal with pain consciously.
Now, I have pondered extensively over how this compensation will happen and what the compensation will be when it happens. As with everything, I realize that I will not figure out a good answer for this today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and most likely not even in ten years.
Despite not knowing the particulars, I choose to believe that there will be compensation for the things people suffer in this life, but some conditions must be met in order to receive this.
- You must connect with the Source. Who or what is the source? I believe He is an almighty and eternal being who directly interacted with His creation via Jesus/Y’shua the Christ. I will never claim to know who He is except in a very, very small way, since I believe He operates in a different dimension that is difficult if not impossible for me to fully comprehend (Isaiah 55:8-9).
- You must live consciously right now. Don’t worry about what you did in the last year, last month, or even the last second. Just choose this moment to live consciously. If you would like a framework in which to do this, check out my posts on living in appointed times by faith (part 2, part 3, part 4). You may also find my statement of belief helpful.
In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham said to the rich man, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things: but now here he is comforted and thou art in anguish.” Now, I have no idea whether this parable is commenting at all on a principle of compensation or not. However, I believe it is plausible to think that it is. Abraham should have said, “Look, you refused to believe in the Messiah, so now you are suffering!” But that is not what he said, though that was additionally implied later.
There was a suggestion that Lazarus was being compensated for the evil things he suffered in life. Now, would this not also mean that a believer that has a suffered more than another believer will be compensated more for that suffering? This is mainly conjecture on my part, but it is a theologically fruitful one. It helps to make sense of the things in life that just seem so unfair. This could mean that those born with down syndrome or with a disability will be the ones with the highest capacity for knowing the Father or something equivalent to that. This idea makes all suffering more meaningful. I believe it is an empowering belief worth adopting.
Have you read ‘The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis? I just did and it had some interesting thoughts about how things in this life might manifest in eternity.
On another note, I think that at least some suffering on the scale of more or less is somewhat dependent on the individual than the actual infliction. Kind of the idea that your weaknesses defines what tries you. For example, one person may consider a nomadic type lifestyle very trying, while the next quite enjoys the adventure. For a time, my sister would be thrown in the deepest black depression, thinking God was not good because she had been denied pregnancy yet one more month. For me, the same scenario was some what a relief.
I think God is good because He knows exactly what each of us need individually to bring us to a closer trust in Him if we will but yield our spirit to His.
I have read ‘The Great Divorce’ but it has been awhile. I remember finding it an interesting read. I’ll have to check it out again.
Some things might be dependent on the individual, but others are decidedly not! The post was written specifically from the context of physical pain (especially the kind that is chronic), though of course it could apply to other areas. As much as I have learned from my pains (and this is substantial), I don’t think I would hesitate an instant to sacrifice all those revelations and more just to be rid of the pain.