I want to preface this with a slight warning. I am asking deep questions here, and I am a human, bound to make mistakes, please use discernment when it comes to my answers and how I talk about these real issues. I don’t know all the answers, I don’t know all things, but I would like to think I’m looking for the truth. I know there are somethings in here that aren’t right, but I hope that there is at least some element of truth here that will help people with their on questions.

I had a brother in Christ ask me once, “Do you think God wants you to have allergies?”

It’s a question I ask my self often. Does God want me to suffer? Well… no. But Jesus suffered….

We live in a fallen world, suffering is a reality because of sin. It’s the horrible mystery of the depravity of man, suffering is a reality. Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that allergies are a punishment for sin, I am sinful yes, but I don’t think God is giving me allergies to punish my sin.

People once asked Jesus, “who sinned, this man, or his parents?” “Neither” Jesus replied. “For it is, that the glory of God might be reviled.” (get exact quote)

Suffering is a fact of a fallen world, even Jesus suffered when he dwelt on earth and he was perfect, with out sin!

I do not think the reality of Christ is to save us from our current suffering, whether that is physical or spiritual, if indeed you want to make the distinction between the two. Christ told us that we should pick up our crosses daily. He did not hide from us the realities of following him and the toll it would take on our lives and bodies. To live for Christ, is not to deny our suffering but to realize that God is taking the evilness of suffering intended by the evil one to tear us from God, to instead pull the rift closed.

Suffering is a part of this world, and I do not believe God wishes it on any of his creation, but what God does with it, is not just to wipe it out, but to instead use it to redeem the very thing suffering seeks to destroy.

To be clear, suffering is not a good thing, nor should it be seen as such. But that doesn’t mean that God cannot make good result from it. Paul tells us to rejoice in our current suffering! Why? Not because suffering is good, it is not, but Christ will use it to further his kingdom. Rejoice in what God is doing through it.

I have spent most of my life questioning my suffering, and questioning my mindset surrounding it. Is an allergy evil, or is it simply “is”? Is it our point of view that is the problem, or the disease itself? Are my breathing issues horrible because it keeps me from running free, or is it a blessing that makes me slow down? I guess the question I’m asking, and perhaps this is a dangerous question to ask, if the world was perfect, would I still have allergies, and would I still bleed? Indeed, would there still be death and decay? Or would the results of those things be different? Would death, instead of separating us from God, bring us closer? Is that not what Christ is doing? Not removing death, but instead taking away its sting? Not getting rid of it, but instead removing its perversion?

Is redemption, the act of destroying the natural order of things, or instead changing their meaning, purpose, and results? Is not redemption, the correcting and reordering of that which has been perverted? Taking what was intended for evil and making good result?

I don’t think I have yet grasped the real meaning of these questions, but these are things that I take before the thrown of God and I encourage you to do the same.

Something my brother said didn’t sit well with me. Was he implying that I did not have enough faith to be healed? But did Christ not have enough faith so that the nails did not pierce his skin?

I’m not sure that the definition of faith should be “belief that something will happen” If that is the case, than even demons have faith because they believe that Christ will one day return. Instead I think the definition of faith is different.