There's a dangerous idea that has been floating around many christian circles.This is the idea that "God makes you suffer before he promotes" or that "God brings pain and/or suffering because he is preparing us for something greater", & many other variations of the same message .

The consistent preaching of this half truth can leave the believer with a warped sense of who God is. Perhaps we need to preach more often that God is also capable of promoting or elevating you without the use of pain, suffering or tragedy.

God doesn't need to turn your friends against you to get close to you. He doesn't need to test your strength by taking away your loved one. God doesn't need to bring pain to administer His love. God certainly does not need to turn your life upside down to get through to you.

If anything God wants us to know that though our friends might turn against us, He sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). Though the pain of losing a loved one might leave us weak and vulnerable, He can be our strength (Nehemiah 8:10).

God loved us way before we could feel any pain (John 3:16; Revelations 13:8). We need to know that though things may sometimes spiral out of control, "Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

We urgently need to tell people the (full) truth of the Word - in every situation. God bless