Suffering in various degrees seems to be aligned with the human condition.

There are many types of suffering, including physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual. Even the so-called "rich and famous" do not escape, as evidenced by stories of broken relationships, wayward children, abusive behavior, sickness, financial reversals, etc.

Without a doubt, suffering will come our way in some form.

For the sake of argument, let us assume there are basically two groups of people in the world: those who seek to follow God and live righteous lives, and those who do not regard God or seek His ways. One might conclude that since Almighty God is Creator and is the final and ultimate authority in everything, those who do not seek Him would suffer while those who do seek Him would sail through life easily. Nothing could be further from the truth.

The psalmist looked around at life and concluded in Psalm 73 that the wicked prospered while the righteous suffered. The psalmist was reminded that everything is not always as it seems. When the psalmist looked down the road of life, he saw that the wicked looked like they were doing okay, but actually they were on "slippery ground" (verse 18).

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 2:4 that God's kindness leads us to repentance. When things do not look fair, it might be nothing more than God extending kindness to someone in order to bring them to Jesus Christ.

We conclude that good people will suffer. Why? Jesus suffered (Hebrews 2:18; 5:8; 13:12). Jesus told His followers in John 15:20, "If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you also." As Jesus suffered, His followers will suffer as well.

Jesus suffered righteously. As He hung on the cross being cruelly crucified, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Another example of a good man suffering righteously is the apostle Paul.

Paul was a great Christian. He was an apostle, a church planter, a church leader, and a mighty man of God, but he was not without his problems. In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul spoke of "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me." Paul prayed to God three times to have the thorn taken away (verse 8). God's answer to Paul--and to us--is stated in 2 Corinthians 12:8: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

God allows suffering to come our way so we will look to Him, trust Him, and walk with Him. God's grace has the power to carry us through the worst circumstances.

When the godly suffer as Paul suffered, they are a testimony of God's power to those who have not yet given their lives to Jesus Christ.

How can we handle suffering? By crying out for God's grace and allowing Him to lift us above the circumstance.