In the Midst of Pain, With Christ

Affliction comes to everyone on this earth.
Ever since humanity turned away from God in the Garden of Eden, tribulation and pain have befallen it, affecting each individual regardless of their characteristics and peculiarities: earthly life brings pain and anguish because human beings live on a land upon which, through sin, they themselves brought God's curse.

Since that tragedy—the greatest in human history—occurred, a river of tears and blood has flowed across the land.
It was sin that brought all misfortune to humanity, beginning with the greatest of them all: the inability to reconcile with God through one's own strength: the path to God no longer exists in a way that man can travel on his own.
The natural destiny of humankind is condemnation, God's punishment, both in earthly life and in eternity.

The curse that has fallen upon the earth also ensures that anguish spares no one's home, not even that of a Christian!
We are subject to all kinds of problems, from financial ones to relationship issues, and we can even be victims of violence!
No one is free from suffering for being a Christian: pain and afflictions can manifest in the life of a Christian in the same way they occur in the life of any other person, but there are those who do not accept or understand why a Christian—accepted, by adoption, as a child of God—suffers indiscriminately, experiencing worries, disappointments, illnesses…

And why does this happen?
Because, as God made clear right after the fall, sin cursed the earth and reached every human being who, since then, carries sin within themselves and suffers the consequences of it… and Christians are no different.

Then he turned to the man and commanded:
“"Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground because of you!"
"Through suffering you will obtain your food from the soil, all the days of your life.".

(Genesis 3:17 – KJA)

But what to think? How to face this sad reality of earthly life?
It often seems that God, whom the Bible calls love (see 1ˢᵗ John 4:8He is cold and distant, ignoring the distress of his children, which seems never-ending.
But that is not true, and here is a passage we can highlight to show God's concern and care for each of his children:

But Zion says:
The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
But even if she were to forget about him, nevertheless I will not forget you..

(Isaiah 49:14-15 – ACF)

This final part is what truly captures attention and comforts, where God states that it is easier for a mother to abandon a newborn child than for Him to abandon His people, or any of His children.
And this is not just empty talk or something that God did not prove to be true: God himself, in the person of his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, knew pain, suffering, and deprivation.
Isaiah already spoke about the suffering servant, who was a man of sorrows and knew what it is to suffer (see Isaiah 53:3).

And his suffering wasn't limited to Friday, when he was crucified: He lived a humble life, as few have lived, including the fact that there was no one to host his earthly parents on the night of his birth!
He was born in a stable, wrapped in swaddling clothes, placed in a manger, grew up in a humble family, and in adulthood preached outdoors, traveling from town to town without a place to lay his head, that is, without even the security of a fixed home (see Matthew 8:20).

And to embrace this life, let's see what He gave up.
The Bible says that he simply emptied himself of heavenly glory, making himself a servant, obedient unto death on a cross (according to Philippians 2:5-8).
He set aside his glory for years and years and lived as few could bear to live in this world.
And in the end, he was even subjected to the pain and death of crucifixion!

And why all this?
To save everyone, to provide forgiveness and reconciliation with God, which were impossible for us on our own.
He loved those who did not deserve to be loved and saved those who did not deserve salvation.
And He paid a very high price… an incalculable one: His divine blood.
Therefore, understand that He comprehends very well what it is to suffer, not only by observing, but by having felt in His body and soul what suffering is.

He knows the pain and longings of each person's heart.
Therefore, even amidst pain and sorrow, let us stand firm, for He knows that we have afflictions in our earthly life, for He also felt them, but He overcame them all, He overcame the world, and I highlight the following passage as the basis for this reflection:

I have warned you about these things, so that in me you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble; but have faith and courage!
I conquered the world.

(John 16:33 – KJA)

Let us be strong and courageous, even in the midst of pain, for we have a God who is with us and understands us, for He Himself felt the pain we feel, and He did so out of love for us all.

The perception that evil is looming large over the world and inflicting suffering on Christians is not illusory!
It's just another one. indication That the end times are rapidly approaching, and before the Lord returns like a thief in the night, the prophesied reign of the Antichrist must be consolidated not only in Brazil, but throughout the world!
In the 2023 phase of "The Worst Gospel," I decided to use new formats in the hope of helping to increase the reach of content related to the Scriptures—stories, videos, shorter texts, guest authors…—and this publication, which I took the liberty of revising and illustrating, is part of that project.
Thank you for reading this far.
I still need all the help I can get: comments, shares, and reactions help spread this content, which was entirely produced with the intention of contributing to the edification of the Body of Christ in the world.