The question “Why does God allow suffering?” is one of the most profound and uncomfortable questions that has plagued humanity for millennia. In a world filled with pain, injustice, and sorrow, how can an all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-loving God sit idly by? It’s a question that most people are afraid to confront because the answer doesn’t fit neatly into the comforting answers many have been taught.
While many theologians and believers have attempted to answer this question with easy clichés and pat answers, the truth is far more disturbing and difficult to face. This article dives into the uncomfortable reality of suffering from a biblical perspective, urging you to look at it with fresh eyes—eyes that are not afraid to ask the tough questions.
The Biblical Reality: Suffering Is Not an Accident
Before we try to answer the question, “Why does God allow suffering?” it’s important to first understand one basic, unsettling fact: suffering is not an accident.
Suffering as a Part of God’s Plan
The Bible makes it abundantly clear that suffering is not an oversight or a byproduct of a broken world. In fact, God does not shy away from the reality of suffering, but instead, He uses it for His purposes. When God allowed sin to enter the world, He was not caught off guard. He allowed it as part of His greater plan for redemption. The apostle Paul reminds us in Romans 5:3-4:
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
This verse makes it clear that suffering is part of a divine process—an essential part of the Christian journey. If we are to grow in our faith, character, and dependence on God, suffering must be included.
Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Answer Most Won’t Face
The most uncomfortable truth that most Christians refuse to face is this: God allows suffering because He uses it as a means of growth and transformation. This is the truth behind much of the suffering that the faithful endure. In the Bible, God does not promise to remove suffering, but He promises to use it for good. The painful truth is that without suffering, there is no true transformation.
The Refining Fire: Suffering Produces Christlike Character
The Bible speaks repeatedly about suffering as a refining fire that shapes us into the image of Christ. 1 Peter 1:6-7 says:
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
This passage reveals that God uses suffering to refine our faith, just as gold is refined by fire. It is through the furnace of suffering that our faith is tested, strengthened, and purified. But this process is uncomfortable. It is messy. And it is necessary.
Is God Truly Silent in Our Suffering?
One of the most troubling aspects of suffering is the sense that God is silent, especially during our darkest moments. Many people have cried out to God in pain, only to feel as though their prayers are going unanswered.
God’s Silence Does Not Mean His Absence
When God seems silent, it is not a sign of His absence. Throughout the Bible, God often works behind the scenes in ways we cannot see. The story of Job is perhaps the most striking example of this. Job, a man of great faith, suffered immensely—losing his family, health, and wealth. Throughout his suffering, God remained silent, and Job’s friends offered misguided comfort. Yet, at the end of the book, we see that God was never absent. He was simply working in ways that Job could not comprehend.
In Isaiah 55:8-9, God says:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
When God is silent in the face of suffering, it does not mean He is ignoring us. Instead, it is a reminder that His ways are far beyond our understanding, and His silence often signifies that He is at work in ways that we cannot yet see.
The Role of Free Will in Suffering
If God is all-powerful and good, why doesn’t He simply stop all the suffering in the world? The Bible teaches that God created humans with free will—the ability to choose right or wrong, to choose love or hate, to choose obedience or rebellion. With free will comes the reality that humans can choose to sin, and sin is the source of much of the suffering in the world.
The Consequence of Sin
When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and introduced suffering. Romans 5:12 tells us:
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.”
Sin and its consequences are a major reason for suffering. But even in the midst of human rebellion, God provides a way for redemption through Jesus Christ.
Why Suffering is a Call to Action
While the Bible affirms that suffering is a natural part of the human experience, it also calls us to act in the face of suffering. Jesus did not ignore the suffering of the world; He addressed it directly. In Matthew 9:36, when He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion:
“When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus did not shy away from suffering, but rather, He engaged with it. As His followers, we are called to do the same. Suffering should spur us into action, to reach out and comfort others, to alleviate pain, and to fight for justice in a broken world.
The Ultimate Hope in Suffering: Redemption and Glory
Though suffering is an undeniable part of the human condition, the Bible offers us a profound hope: suffering is not the end of the story. In the end, all suffering will be redeemed. Revelation 21:4 gives us this stunning promise:
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
The hope of eternal life with God, where there is no more suffering, is what anchors the Christian faith. While we may never fully understand why suffering exists, we can be assured that God will ultimately bring about a world where suffering no longer exists.
Conclusion: Embracing the Uncomfortable Truth
So, why does God allow suffering? The truth is that suffering is not an accident. It is a part of God’s greater plan for transformation, redemption, and growth. It refines us, tests our faith, and molds us into the image of Christ. While suffering may seem pointless or cruel at times, it is through it that God works in profound ways that we cannot always understand.
God’s silence is not His absence. His ways are higher than ours, and His purposes go beyond what we can comprehend. In the end, suffering is not the final word; redemption is.
Though we may not have all the answers now, the hope of eternal life with God is the ultimate assurance that suffering is temporary. And in the grand scheme of eternity, it will have been worth it.
