The garbage that is most-often preached on "Christian" television...the idiocy of "Jesus died to make you healthy/wealthy/prosperous" is incredibly destructive. The idea that suffering is the absolute result of sin and/or lack of faith is a cancer that continues to spread, sadly, not only throughout America, but throughout the world. (Much of the proclaimed "gospel surge" in Africa, for instance, is the false gospel of health/wealth/prosperity).
The proponents of this garbage have to Thomas Jefferson (Remember, this founding father went thru the scripture and cut out everything he didn't like) 1 Peter 4:19, "Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
Here's a quote from John Stott's farewell book (that I highly recommend) bringing sane clarity to the subject:
"Christlikeness and the mystery of suffering. Of course suffering is a huge subject in itself, and there are many ways in which Christians try to understand it. But one stands out, and that is that suffering is part of God's process of making us like Christ. Whether it is a disappointment or a frustration, we need to try to see it in the light of Romans 8:28-29: according to Romans 8:28, God is always working for the good purpose of His people, and according to Romans 8:29, this good purpose is to make us like Christ."
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