Bible Study Pain and Heartache : the training grounds

[itoldyounoalready]

I believe that almost everyone has to have gone through some suffering before helping someone who is suffering in order to understand their pain, is this true?

 

[cly]

Yeah, I think so. We learn best through experience, which is probably why your mother let you do something like taste raw cocoa sometime when you were a kid. God knows this too, so we go through rough times. By having these rough times, we gain a better understanding of how it feels to go through certain experiences, and can better help others through a similar experience.

However, just because you know what it's like to be in a situation or to have a certain experience does not mean that someone is going to listen to you when you try to help them. Many people are stubborn and decide that they can do things on their own. They resolutely refuse to take anyone's advice, and, in turn, they must learn things the hard way. When this happens, you just have to be patient and give the person room to fall. Just be sure to be near enough that you can assist them back up and show them love and kindness. I find this especially difficult to do because I hate to see someone hurting when they could have avoided the pain, if only they'd listen to people who have "been there and done that." There's not much that can be done, though, because a person's going to do what that person wants to do, regardless of what other's try to say.

 

[thessalonian]

I believe that almost everyone has to have gone through some suffering before helping someone who is suffering in order to understand their pain, is this true?

It's called "take up your cross and follow me".

 

[J6o7h8n3]

Its hard to help somebody if you have never stood in the shoes of those people. If you are 27 and your life was good with god ever since you was a child than its hard to relate to somebody who is also 27 turning over to god from a life full as a sinner and lost from god. The christian who never was in the shoes of the man who was lost from god would probably not give much help because he cannot relate. If the Christian who was 27 at some point in his life was like the prodigal son and tasted of that which lost people taste of now, he can more easily relate. A driving instructor cannot help me learn to drive if he has not driven and been in that spot once himself can he?

 

[(Omega)]

I believe that almost everyone has to have gone through some suffering before helping someone who is suffering in order to understand their pain, is this true?

I definitely agree, an example would be the mental suffering a mother experiences if her child of 5 months suddenly experiences a tragic death. She will be grieved, however when her grief passes away, she can in return comfort those hwo have experienced the same tragedy she has. Sometimes it takes someone who has undergone suffering and pain to the same degree as the other person being comforted to better achieve consolation. This is the reason as to why there are at times inexplicable degrees of suffering and tragedy. Oftentimes those who have been through hell and back have the best of testmonies, a former habitual drug user, adulterer and even murderer, or those who have experienced past mental or physical abuse or trauma who have turned to Christ and experienced a changed heart have amazing testimonies. No Pain, No Gain, sometimes wisdom comes from suffering.

God Bless!