Gifts for Moms, Dads, and Grads
Gifts for Grads
The Unresolved “Why” of Suffering
When tragedy strikes, almost everyone who believes in God, along with almost everyone who claims they don’t, asks the same question: Why does God allow suffering?
Articles on Trials and Suffering
313 results found
The Wilderness Offers Us New Sight
When we walk through any season of wilderness, the greatest danger is not the scorching heat of the trial; it is that we would be blind to the God who sees us.
Three Purposes of God in Your Suffering
We know that suffering is a result of sin and a fallen world, but that usually feels inadequate when we're in anguish.
Tips for Students Facing Doubt in the Real World
When facing doubts and fears, the last thing you want to do is isolate yourself and struggle alone.
To Cry Is Human, but to Lament Is Christian
Every human being has the same opening story. Life begins with tears. It’s simply a part of what it means to be human—to cry is human. But lament is different.
True Peace Isn’t Found in the Absence of Conflict
When pain tempts me to feel disheartened and glumly stare out a window, I stand up to my miserable emotions. I quell those dark feelings by singing about peace and resting my soul in God.
Trusting When We Don't Understand, Believing When We Can't See
The question that haunts most people who experience significant suffering and loss—is, “why?”
Video: Collin Hansen on Identifying Our Blind Spots
Justin Taylor talks with author Collin Hansen about how Christians can view their differences as opportunities to more effectively engage a needy world with the love of Christ.
Video: Disability and the Gospel
"Why do we in the evangelical church in the West demand that everyone be “normal” and look the same? Why do we as a culture try so hard (and succeed so well!) at hiding people …
Video: J.I. Packer on Weakness
J.I. Packer, renowned theologian and author of the forthcoming Weakness is the Way, reflects on his experience of weakness, having been hit by a bread truck as a child and now facing the realities of aging.
Video: Joe Thorn on the Most Difficult Season of His Life
Justin Taylor talks with author and pastor Joe Thorn about walking through difficult seasons and finding refuge in the triune God.
Viewing the Christian Story through the Lens of Our Suffering
Suffering disrupts our lives, seeming to violate the way life should be. This can make us desperate to know why we are suffering.
We all long for the restoration that will come when God gives us new, resurrected bodies. But we don’t have those bodies yet.
Waiting on the Lord Is Not a Waste
You’re not doing anything, but God is. Waiting is one of the greatest applications of the Christian faith.
Was Marx Right About Religion?
Is the idea of glorification an opiate for the masses? Karl Marx would have thought so. He argued that religion leads the believer to focus on the prospect of the world to come and to neglect this one.
Watch Out for Functional Atheism
In the midst of storms in your life, have you forgotten who Jesus is?
We Are Both Job and Job’s Friends
One important question in reading any biblical text is who you, as a reader, identify with. This is easier for some texts than for others. Who do we identify with in the book of Job?
We May Be Confused, but God Isn’t
As much as we try to make sense of our lives, there are things that we simply aren’t able to understand.
We Need Another Storyline to Put Ours in Perspective
Orienting ourselves by stories involves using their storylines to put our lives in proper perspective.
Sometimes we end up disappointed with Jesus because we want the miracle, the answer, the reconciliation, the restoration, the healing right now.
What Can I Give to a Grieving Person?
What can we give as a gift to someone who is going through grief—something that we can do for them that would be really helpful?
What Does God Think of My Pain?
While Christians are never promised immunity from suffering, they are promised a purpose in the midst of it.
Even those in their prime with perfect health have limits. We need a stronger strength to match our deep discouragements.
James calls on Christians to reckon any situation, however difficult, as an occasion of intense joy. Not every element of suffering is joy. But, however severe one’s suffering, every trial is a time for intense joy.
What Grieving People Wish You Knew
Four things grieving people wish we knew about grief to help us confidently interact and helpfully take action.
What Is Hurtful about Playing the Comparison Game?
Unless you are Jesus, it almost never helps to tell someone that you know exactly what they’re going through.
What Is the Best Question to Ask a Hurting Friend?
There are lots of good questions to ask someone who is hurting, but I think one of the best questions is this: "How are you doing today?"
What Is the Ultimate Goal of Sexual Renewal?
Depending on the particular struggle we face, the Lord knows how to renew us sexually in exactly the ways we most need.
What Not to Say to a Grieving Person
Here are three things that grieving people wish no one would ever say to them again.
What Should I Do When I'm Bearing Unbearable Suffering?
In the midst of pain and suffering, we must preach truth to ourselves rather than listening to the lies in our own heads.