Here are six questions to ask ourselves when we suffer, and what to do if the answer is yes.
| Questions | Our Response |
| Am I being punished by God for sin? | Confess known sin. |
| Is Satan attacking me as I try to survive as a Christian? | Call on God for strength. |
| Am I being prepared for a special service, learning to be compassionate to those who suffer? | Resist self-pity. Ask God to open up doors of opportunity and help you discover others who suffer as you do. |
| Am I specifically selected for testing, like Job? | Accept help from the body of believers. Trust God to work his purpose through you. |
| Is my suffering a result of natural consequences for which I am not directly responsible? | Recognize that in a sinful world, both good and evil people will suffer. But the good person has a promise from God that his or her suffering will one day come to an end. |
| Is my suffering due to some unknown reason? | Don’t draw inward from the pain. Proclaim your faith in God, know that he cares, and wait patiently for his aid. |