This week, we read excerpts from The Problem of Pain, which answers an important question in Christianity: why must we suffer?  Lewis begins by pointing out that people who are stuck in their sins often need pain to come to the realization that everything is not well in their life.  They will later realize that their life is not their own, and the false happiness and pleasure that they have experienced in their sins are contrary to God’s will and in fact preventing them from experiencing true joy.  It is often those that achieve worldly success, not the poor and downtrodden, that reject or forget God because they don’t need Him, and we are quick to forget that He was the one who granted us our success.

       He also asserts that although many associate pain with the negative things of the world—violence, depression, and immorality—it is more common that pain brings out the best in people.  Pain is like the refiner’s fire—it’s not enjoyable, but you come out of it purer and humbler than before, more submissive to God.  When we can overcome the concept of being a “self”, we can let God into our lives and follow His guidance, which will ultimately lead us to real happiness and joy.