Why Do We Suffer?

During my senior year of college, I was taking a class called Contemporary Christian Belief. This class addressed five critical questions that might hold people back from believing in God. It prepared us for "street sweeping conversations," otherwise known as apologetics-driven answers to the roadblocks that keep people from faith. 

My favorite question we addressed, by far, was number 3 of 5: How can a good God allow suffering?

We looked at the story of Job, a man in Scripture who lost everything he owned in a matter of moments. Pretty much the only thing he gained was boils and a literal dung heap. We also read the stories of many people who have suffered tremendously for a multitude of reasons: a father whose entire family was killed in a car crash. A young girl in Indonesia raped and beaten for professing Christ. A woman diagnosed with cancer. 

Suffering is an inevitable part of the fall. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden, the perfect life as God ordained it came to a screeching halt, now laden with illness, thorns, discord, heartache, and death. God gave His children free will because He loves them and doesn't want to "live" as robots without choices. Yet we sinful, selfish people took that free will and returned with rebellion. We desired to be like God, pridefully disobeying the for-your-good commands of our Holy Father. And in came the suffering.

While suffering came into the world because of us, God did not leave us to our own devices. He sent Jesus, His perfect son, to walk the earth among the sufferers. Not haughtily -- there was no trace of "I'm God and you're not, so you suffer while I ride my high horse on to glory." Quite the opposite: Isaiah 53 says that "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; He was despised, and we didn't value Him."

No high horse at all. In fact, a dirty donkey, which he would ride to the cross to be crucified for our sin. He did not summon us to suffer while sitting idly by. He stooped even lower than our suffering, carrying our sin and sickness on His shoulders at the cross. He was nail-stricken because of us, and yet He willingly endured this unthinkable murder so that those who know Him might one day be redeemed from suffering fully, finally, and forever.

Then, God raised Him up from the dead, triumphing over sin, Satan, and death, and giving all who surrender to Him the opportunity to have everlasting life. So one day, for those who are in Christ, suffering will be no more. Death, pain, grief, and sickness will be no more. 

So yes, God allows suffering. But He also sent His son to be the final remedy for suffering, if only we will call upon His name, confess our utter helplessness without Him, and acknowledge that He is Lord. Sometimes, a bulleted list gets the point across just as well:

  • Sinful man brought about suffering through the fall
  • God allowed this to happen because He loves us enough to have free will 
  • He did not leave us on our own to suffer
  • Christ came and suffered the death we deserve in our place
  • So that one day we might have eternal life in a place with NO suffering!!!
  • He loves to draw near to us in our hurting
  • It is far better to suffer with God than without Him.
  • Our hope is unwavering: We will one day be with Him and all will be made right.
All glory be to Christ. 

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