Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering?
When we walk through seasons of pain and suffering, we all tend to ask why? Why are these things happening? We ask because we want answers and reasons for what often feels like senseless suffering. So we ask God why are you allowing these bad things to happen? It’s a question that theologians and philosophers have wrestled with for centuries. Thankfully the Bible speaks into this question. While God and the Bible do not always tell us the reason why we are walking through a time of pain and suffering, it does give us many things to consider and remember as we process through our questions. I want to share three of those things in this post.
First we need to remember two important truths:
- God is the creator and we are the creature
As the creator, God has every right to deal with his creation in any way he sees fit. This means that God does not owe us answers and we may not get answers to why we are suffering. This is the lesson of Job. Job suffers a lot of pain and suffering and most of the book is Job asking God and his friends why these things happened to him. At the end of Job, God responds to Job but doesn’t answer his why question. Instead God asks Job a series of questions and at the end Job is in awe of God’s power and sovereignty and bows in worship of the Creator God.
- We are sinners and our sin causes a lot of damage.
When sin entered the world, it corrupted everything and continues to do so today. Sin causes damage in our lives, the lives of those around us, and in the created world. Much of our pain and suffering in this world is a direct result of the damage from sin—broken relationships, disease, natural disasters, etc.
When we ask why we are walking through a season of difficulty, it is important to remember 3 things from God’s Word regarding pain and suffering:
- God wants us to draw near.
When we go through a season of pain and suffering, the temptation is to pull away from God. This is typically due to our anger and frustration towards God for our time of suffering. But, it is important to fight this temptation and instead draw near to God. God wants us to draw near to him—even when we’re angry with him. We can bring all of those emotions to God—he can handle it.
To draw near to God focus on these things:
- Read the Bible. It is important to continue reading Scripture. You may feel that you’re not getting anything out of it, but it’s important to continue pressing forward in in this discipline. If you’re having a hard time, try reading the Psalms. Some of my favorites when walking through a time of difficulty are Psalms 16, 22-23, 34, 40, 88-89, and 121.
- Lean into your church community. Stay connected to your church family. You need a team of people who love you and will walk alongside you during this time.
- Write down all of those questions and feelings toward God.
- Pray and pray a lot. Prayer helps us stay connected to God, which is so important during seasons of suffering.
- God understands suffering.
God understands and is familiar with suffering. He is not distant or unaware during our moments of pain. We this clearly in the life of Jesus. In John 11 Jesus wept at the loss of his friend Lazarus. On the cross Jesus suffers physically and spiritually as he bears our sin and wrath due our sin. So God understands what it is like to suffer.
He is also close in our moments of suffering. In Hebrews 4:15-16 we are told that Jesus is our great High Priest who draws near to us and can understand our moments of weakness and suffering. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul asks God to remove his thorn in his flesh (whatever it was), but God says no. He doesn’t, however, leave Paul alone in his suffering. God comes alongside him and tells Paul that his grace will be sufficient for Paul. God’s strength will carry him through his suffering. When we walk through a season of pain and suffering, remember that God is right there with us the entire time carrying us through it.
- God is always at work in our moments of pain and suffering.
We might know why we’re suffering at the moment, but we can trust that our God is always at work. We see this in the life of Joseph. After all the difficulty that Joseph walks through, he can say near the end of his life, what others meant for evil God meant for good. This means that our suffering is never senseless. Our God has a plan and he is always working to accomplish his plans—which can include moments of pain and suffering.
God is always working towards the ultimate end. At the end God will put an end to all pain, suffering, sin, and evil. He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and we will spend eternity with him in complete perfection. When we walk through moments of pain and suffering, we can remember that God is working and one day we will be with him in perfection.
Lastly, if you know someone who is currently walking through a season of suffering, remember these 5 things:
- Don’t try to give them answers. You don’t know why they’re suffering anyways. Just say “I’m sorry” and “I love you and am here for you.”
- Obey Romans 12:15 and weep with those who weep. Be a constant presence and offer a shoulder to cry on.
- Be a safe place. Let them vent their frustrations. Again, don’t offer answers, just listen and be there for them. Don’t betray confidences.
- Pray with them and for them.
Point them to Jesus. He’s the only one who can offer peace, hope, and comfort.