Nothing happens by chance in this world, without God’s providence! We resist against God’s providence as a child when his parents don’t let him do what he wants. He reacts out of the selfishness and stubbornness of his request. He may even leave the parental home and sadden his parents because they didn’t please him.

When you are in a deep sorrow, a spiritual, economical struggle, either you suffer from an illness or any other thing, kneel and pray, asking God to fulfil his will and not yours. And God, who allowed for that problem come into your life provides at the same time also a way to overcome it.

Many times pain troubled saints as well so that their glory in Heaven be even higher thanks to the patience they show! But also, saints suffer so that they set an example to other people, as it was the case of Saint Job, Saint Singlitichia and many others.

(Translation from Avva Efrem Filotheitul, Sfaturi duhovniceşti, traducere Pr. Victor Manolache, Editura Egumeniţa, Alexandria, 2012, p. 10)