Why is there suffering in the world?
None can deny that this world is filled with great suffering. Every person is touched by it from the richest to poorest, oldest to youngest. Why does God allow this? If God is in control and loving how can He look on and seemingly do nothing? Many claim, “If I were God I would rid the world of this evil.”
The Bible teaches us that suffering is a result of human rebellion. God made the world perfect. Suffering had no place in it. Suffering entered when humanity turned its back on God and sought to live apart from Him and contrary to His ways. Even now most suffering in this world is related to our failure to live God’s way. In other words we are the ones at fault. So suffering is a consequence of our rebellion against God. When we grasp the cause of suffering it allows us to see it differently.
Suffering is not the problem but a symptom of the real problem, our relationship with God. It alerts us to this that we might seek a remedy. It is like the pain we feel in our body. This pain alerts us to a problem and moves us to seek a remedy. The awareness of pain can actually be life saving. It tells us, “Something is wrong. Go to the doctor.” So also suffering alerts us to the serious problem of a broken relationship with God because of our wrongdoing so we can seek a remedy.
The Bible gives us an even better answer than this, one full of hope. It tells us that God became a man and suffered on a cross. God entered our suffering and suffered more than we can ever imagine. In doing this He absorbed the suffering of those who trust Him. The Bible says, “by His wounds we are healed.” This means that suffering is temporary for those who turn back to God. We can look forward to a time when suffering will be a thing of the past.
But what about the suffering now? For the Christian suffering has a good purpose. “God works all things together for the good fo those who love Him”. This includes the most intense forms of suffering. Through suffering God purifies us. He makes us more humble, thankful, compassionate and deepens our relationship with Him. So, suffering is real and not be ignored but is a tool in the hands of God to remake us into the people He wants us to be.