Why would a good God allow so much suffering in the world? This question may be used to reject God more than any other. Sooner or later everyone suffers. Granted, there are some whose sufferings seem minor in comparison to others, although if we stood in the shoes of someone not toughened by much suffering before facing their “minor” challenge we might learn they feel as downtrodden as someone else enduring something far worse. Suffering is suffering, and it’s difficult to weigh its effect on anyone else. This is, of course, one other way God gets the blame: the uneven distribution of suffering.
How do we make sense of suffering? Why does God allow such a thing, especially if He loved us enough not only to give us a world as beautiful as the one around us, but to take on human flesh and die for us so we could spend eternity with Him?
Suffering requires me to have a concise statement reminding me of my faith. Sort of a mission statement, so my faith doesn’t get sidetracked when I don’t understand why God has allowed something I’m not sure I can bear. I have several statements, and this is my first:
God set up a faith-based system.
This simple statement reminds me that bad things can happen to good people because if God allowed only good things to happen to His people, people of faith, then it wouldn’t take faith to believe in Him. It would just take common sense. Only good things go to believers? Okay, I’ll be a believer.
Further, God must allow suffering because He gave us free will. Some suffering is a result of bad choices we make with our free will, but that’s clearly not the only reason people suffer. Many people suffer because of the bad choices other people make in their own exercise of free will.
The cost of free will is love and suffering.
If God had made us without the ability to choose—either for or against Him—then the result wouldn’t mean much. We’d have no choice, we would just love Him because He programmed us that way. But He gave us a choice so it would mean something. Love freely given is real love.
God placed us in a natural world—one that reveals His power and glory and yet is another avenue for suffering: through natural disasters like earthquakes, floods and other storms.
God’s natural world obeys the physical laws He set in place in the universe.
There is a great essay on this topic found at the God and Science website, here. It explains, in a reader-friendly way, how the natural processes God set up for us to thrive on this planet follow a necessary pattern. The earth in its natural form actually needs earthquakes and floods and even volcanoes to sustain itself as a life-giving planet. It’s definitely worth a peek to see how science reveals the fine-tuning of God’s universe which fits so well with the Bible. It’s also fascinating to consider the perfect world atheists seem to want is the exact world God will create in the future, after this current world comes to an end (reference found at the end of the essay).
My last concise statement on suffering is to remind myself of my real purpose in life.
God created me for fellowship with Him.
Our culture bows to the idol of feelings. If it feels good and doesn’t hurt anybody, it must be right. We deserve to be happy. Our greatest goal for our children is simply for them to be happy. Well, while I do believe God gave us the unalienable right to pursue happiness, I do not believe God created us as self-centered beings with the main goal to satisfy our own wants and dreams. That just seems a setup for disappointment, because once we get something we want we always seem to want more. I believe He created us to love Him and others (Matthew 22:36-40). Nowhere in that greatest commandment do I see we’re to focus on our own happiness. I do believe, however, that our happiness is a natural result of loving God and others—I know it is for me.
God’s purpose for us begins in this life by enjoying His fellowship, but doesn’t end when we die. This world is the testing ground, where we make our choice to fellowship with Him or not. After we die, the fellowship continues—or doesn’t.
So that, in brief (or not so brief!) are the statements I remind myself when I struggle. God never promised a life without suffering but to be with me always, even in my suffering. Knowing the real purpose of my life is fellowship with God tends to lessen my self-pity and reminds me the best is yet to come!
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Hi Maureen,
I struggle every day with my health problems and a few weeks ago the surgeon took CT and x-ray of me and he told me there was nothing that could be done for me and that my condition would just keep getting worse. I have never blamed God for my suffering. It is because of where i lived and the foods i ate, because i am allergic to a lot of food, grass,trees, animals, and more things.What hurts me the most is i am not able to be in church to worship God! I give Him thanks for what i have,i pray to Him and read about God our Father and Savor. I always have faith in Him and some day i hope to be in Heaven with God! He is such a loving Heavenly Father! I thank you for today blog it just up lifted me so much. It just confirmed again everything i already knew and believed. God bless you and i know you have struggles too.
Norma
Oh, Norma, I’m so sorry the doctors aren’t offering much by way of comfort. Is there any way to see another doctor? It sounds very difficult to be told there’s nothing to be done, especially if you’re facing daily discomfort.
But I am glad to hear your peace still comes from God, despite everything. Please know you have more than hope with God, by trusting Christ’s work is enough we can enjoy certainty of heaven.
So glad today’s posting was a blessing to you, Norma. 🙂
Maureen,
Thank you for your kind words, i know if it wasn’t for God words and knowing that he is with me and looking forward to heaven. You know all about suffering and the health problems your son has. So i thank you again.
God bless you.
Norma
“If God had made us without the ability to choose—either for or against Him—then the result wouldn’t mean much.”
“He” did’nt give the choice of having free will or not, if i were to choose, i would not choose this “free will”, couse it let hurt and be hurt by others, if i can’t choose that, it’s not freewill.
If “He” is ominipotent, he could give me a better “free will”, one that would not let that.
So i have this “free will” againist my will.
Interesting perspective — free will isn’t worth the cost to you (that cost being pain and suffering). I admit to having days like that myself. But when I explore my beliefs, I can’t help but come back to what I see around me (the beauty of this world) being from a God who wants me to delight in the gifts He’s given us. So if He’s loving enough to want me to live in an environment so filled with beauty, that must be a reflection of His character. The character of God as revealed in Christ, and His sacrifice, matches the love expressed in creation. The problem of suffering has prevented countless people from seeing God’s love – from all walks of life, cultures, levels of education, etc.. It’s a universal problem. But I cannot blame the suffering in the world on a God who would give me life in such a place as this and also sacrifice Himself for me. I can, however, see His goal to rid the world of evil, pain and suffering and at the end of it enjoy fellowship with those who wanted to love Him rather than only people He “made” to love him.
Thank you for visiting and for sharing your thoughts!