033 | How Can God Allow Suffering?

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SS033 Shepherd & The Shrink How Can God Allow Suffering?

How can a good God allow suffering? No matter how many times we’ve been given textbook answers to this question, when we look at all the suffering and evil around us we sometimes can’t help but ask it. And as hard as it can be to find God in the suffering of those around us, it can be even harder to find Him in our own suffering.

Today, we explore this question and talk about how to find God in the midst of our own suffering. We discuss the warning signs that you’re letting go of God and we talk about the subtle forms of pride that can take hold without our realizing it. We talk about surrendering, and why it’s completely counter-cultural. We discuss the importance of complete honesty, as well as why it’s important to accept and enter into suffering instead of running away from it. We talk about what kind of emotion sadness is and why that matters. We have this whole conversation in the context of Marty’s testimony of his own experience.

“If this is what He has to do to purify me by fire, I’m gonna trust that it’s going somewhere better than when it started.” - Dr. Martin Fletcher

“Until I name what I’m surrendering, it means something is unsurrendered.” - Dr. Matt Hook

This week on Shepherd & the Shrink:

  • The importance of sharing your burdens with others

  • Warning signs that that you’re letting go of God

  • What it means to surrender

  • Trusting that God is in the midst of our suffering

  • Why you shouldn’t passively wait for your suffering to go away

  • What sadness is

Resources mentioned

Bringing Mental Health and Spirituality Together

Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Shepherd & the Shrink Podcast with your hosts Dr. Matt Hook and Dr. Martin Fletcher, the show where theology meets psychology. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts.

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Martin Fletcher