Grace and Suffering

In Lisa's wonderful post in her blog today about Sharing Grace in the Face of Illness and I responded with a comment that we have a wonderful community that will support one another and share ourselves so that they are not alone.

Trials basically teaches me to bear others who are facing similar situations(2 Corinthians 1:3-7.)

Trials come to humble us that we must realize that God allows trials in our lives share our burdens with others.(James 1:3-4, and 12)

Trials come to us to teach us to value the blessing of God from His perspective to enable us to help others in their suffering and to make us better able to assist others in their own suffering.

God allows us to learn by experience to help others.

I have said in the past and I will repeat. Trials (of all kinds) are often a two-sided coin. One side trials may be viewed as coming from God to bring out the BEST in us (See: Gen. 22:1-2, 15-18; Hebrews 11:17). On the other side of the coin, Satan attempts to tempt us and trials to bring out the WORST in us (see: James 1:13-14).

Suffering is a process in our lives that “We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, proven character; and . . .” (Rom. 5:3-4). “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam. 1:3-4).

How do I endure through my trials?

Grace (See 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).....God said "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses (i.e. illnesses), in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Only God can overcome my suffering situation as long as I trust in His GRACE.

The real question here is, when God gives me the grace to handle the sufferings of my life, did I allowed Him?

That's the issue.