The Good Use of Suffering

In this broadcast of From the Housetops, Brother Matthew reflects on how God, in His infinite wisdom, permits suffering not out of cruelty but out of love, for He chastises those whom He loves. Though He could sanctify us without pain, He has willed that we grow gradually in humility, detachment, and self-denial. Without suffering, self-love cannot be uprooted, nor can the soul be freed from its attachments. God works quietly and by degrees, often through ordinary means, concealing His grace so that we may walk by faith and not by sight. Through disappointments, weariness, and repeated falls, He reveals our weakness and gently detaches us from the false pleasures of the world, purifying us as in a slow fire until the soul begins to belong to Him alone.

Like a wise physician, God allows suffering only to heal what is wounded within us. He takes from us what we love too much in order to lead us to a purer and more lasting love. What we perceive as loss is often a hidden mercy, preserving us from greater harm and preparing us for eternal good. Nothing happens without God’s willing it: He orders all things, measures all things, and directs every moment of our lives. Let us, then, trust in God, accept our trials with faith, and allow Him to purify our hearts, so that, freed from all attachment, we may belong entirely to Him.