I often hear people say "Ah look at them its Karma" This is mean and misunderstood!

Karma – Cause and Effect

There is such a thing as Karma – the Godly principle is “you reap what you sow”

However oftentimes we look at people and their suffering and we say “Hm Karma”

This is not necessarily true.

God is a God of mercy and He promises to “cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him”

God is a God of forgiveness. Sometimes people suffer because they are self-sacrificing and lay down their lives for others.

For e.g. - Mother Theresa – but there are many self-sacrificing souls all around us who do not speak of their Acts of Mercy but quietly go around doing good.

The Apostle Paul endured suffering to the point of death. What did he say to this?

“Imprisonments often, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labour and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure”

This was not Karma, the Glory of God (His manifest presence) rested on Paul and because we live in a fallen world, he had a spiritual enemy who hounded him through people and circumstances.

Paul goes on to say “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh”

Then why do people suffer?

Sometimes people suffer because they have a Godly Spirit in a hostile world. People are persecuted and murdered daily because they love God

Sometimes people suffer due to injustices of worldly systems. There are millions of displaced people especially children who suffer due to injustices

Sometimes people suffer because they have made wrong decisions. I think here we can all relate.

Sometimes people suffer because they have wronged others. Here we SHOULD all relate and this could be termed Karma or cause and effect.

When we judge people and label their suffering as Karma it will behove us to remember that there is not one single Human being on this planet who has not wronged someone.