Bearing these facts in mind, sometimes God permits suffering to keep us from a greater suffering later or to preserve us for a greater good. Believe that in your pain and suffering, God is ever present. This answers the question, 'Why didn't God create a world where people don't suffer?' "The answer is He did. One way is to curse God because of our suffering and the other is to praise God, even in the midst of our suffering. While the Bible teaches that sometimes God allows pain for specific reasons (see below), the ultimate reason why such suffering is even possible is that the world is fallen. Thankfully, God is good and gave us the answers in His Word. Will I ever get better? But there is evil in the world. His desire is that no one would perish, but that everyone would be reunited with Him (1 Peter 3:9). And the list could go on and on and on. To pick up one theme of suffering in Scripture is to miss the entire picture. So, why does God allow pain? Our first reaction to pain is to run from it, dull it, or to avoid it. But would that really be good? Jesus prayed that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You (John 17:21). In these verses, Paul is referring to multiple types of suffering mental, physical, emotional and spiritual. God is not the creator of evil, pain, and suffering. What caused you to appreciate life more? God May Be Allowing This Emotional Suffering in Your Life Because He Wants a Deeper Relationship with You For humans, there is a mystery as to why God created the earth. God is still pursuing His people. While God didnt create suffering, He is in the business of redeeming it. We know that pain and suffering was not part of Gods plan. Rather it focuses on how we should respond. Until we place our trust that Gods plan is good, even when it doesnt seem to be, we will never be at peace with this question. And the list goes on. Use PayPal or a Credit Card for safe, secure giving. [12] Suffering seems meaningless and cruel when not taken in the context of faith. We have to ask ourselves if we trust that Gods plan is good, even if at the moment it doesnt seem good. Genesis 1:31 says God saw all that He had made and it was very good," he continued. Challenges as something to be avoided. If we seek God, He is faithful and He will provide. His newest Walking with God through Pain and Suffering is a wise, Christ-centered, comforting book for readers who hurt, and offers counsel to readers who anticipate future suffering. C.S. If the Bible offers a range of perspectives on God and suffering, then we must be willing to sort and weigh them when we are faced with difficulty. When we face pain and suffering how we respond to it is a choice. Find hope, peace, and security today. There is sweetness and there is suffering. Lets dive into the question, Why does God allow suffering? He was a pastor for 10 years. He didnt give a lecture on why suffering exists, rather He says Im with you and I will not leave you. Malcolm Muggeridge writes, Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful, with particular satisfaction., He continues: Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained., Muggeridges pain has helped him understand the cross of Christ: This, of course, is what the Cross signifies. Pain isnt something we need to get rid of. In suffering there is also, I believe, a message of warning. Its easy to see this in someone else life and doubt in our own life. Id love to hear from you! In Second Corinthians we read: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. But in the meantime, we do not suffer alone. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. Pain is, in most cases, a good thing. Yes, life was simple, but there was no suffering. People often hold only one view of suffering; however, the Bible does not have one approach to suffering but many. Whats been your experience wrestling through this question, why does God allow suffering? We demand answers and that God fixes our problem(s). Anything at all. What Happens When You Come to the End of Yourself? Of course, we knew the consequences of free will. Something we cannot see or even understand? These stories liter our feeds on social media and are in almost every movie Hollywood makes. Why is God letting this happen? But the creatures are not happy. He created the earth, and all that is in it, to be in perfect harmony with His character and nature. This is at no cost to you and helps keep Rethink up and running. Mathew Henry writes, Extraordinary afflictions are not always the punishment of extraordinary sins, but sometimes the trial of extraordinary graces. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. The point Im trying to make is that until we put God at the center, we will struggle with this question of why suffering exists. If your spirit is separated from God for eternity, it will be lost forever. Pain stimulates the development of certain virtues in a Christians life. So, what do we know about why does God allow suffering? When we grow wise through experience, we can become a people able and willing to choose what pleases the Lord. One important answer to this question is to say they should imitate Christ, who suffered more than anyone. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affliliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. (see 2 Corinthians 12:9). The truth is: If God can't somehow love you through the pain and suffering, then He shields you from it. We never ask that question about the pain and suffering of a life term sentence for someone who has committed murder because, we understand it was a consequence of their actions, and we reason that they deserve it as a result of what they did. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Jesus said, for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me (Matthew 25:35-36). to review new Catholic military chaplain contract after objections, The restless heart of Gen Z and the mental health crisis, Revelation 11: The reign of Christ is virtually now settled, 5 solutions for the weary pastor: A personal note to church members, Christians should be very careful not to love what God hates, There is no Christian case for open borders, George Verwer dies: Spirit-led gut instinct leadership, The new authoritarians seek to punish people of faith, Dylan Mulvaney talks 'relationship with God,' says 'sex assigned at birth' was 'not what God had in mind', Al Mohler family request prayers after blood clots found in lungs, Prison officials deny retaliating against woman who complained about male 'satanist' watching her shower, Spanish actress uses dead son's sperm to conceive baby, works around Spain's surrogacy ban, Worship leader claims God miraculously healed him of cancerous leg tumor, Travel: In Englands Bishop Auckland, religious heritage anchors an urban renewal, 'A nightmare': As trans issue impacts kids, horror sparks massive awakening, journalist says. And the list could go on and on and on. As a spiritual advice columnist, I am frequently asked why God allows suffering. We need your help to keep our site ad-free. Thanks to us, the moral . Thousands of years later He would give up His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for us to be saved from sin and be restored to Him who loved us so much (see John 3:16). Cancer Patient's Pain and Suffering show their faith in action to you. In our pain, we long to know why God allows grief and hardship into our lives. God is waiting, Hes being patient, Hes continually pursuing those far from Him in hopes they will return to Him. Help me get equipped andbe encouraged so I am empowered to know, live, and share my faith. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee;he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. In a polytheistic worldview, as noted above, pain and suffering are simply factors caused by malevolent gods. 1 Peter 2:19-21. The Bible says that Job suddenly lost all of his wealth and his children. When someone in the church is in need, we are to come alongside them to help them through their suffering. Here's the unalterable fact: Pain is often a central part of God's purpose in this world. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. Pain promotes humility. 2023 BGEA If you want more about Gods response to the pain we face check out: Why Did Jesus Weep. So they were created with perfect bodies and godly minds capable of directing their desires and will, and reflecting Gods nature and His glory. Lewis in A Mind Awake. Because tragedy happened to you, it gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who experience tragedy. I know it almost never seems that way. Solicitation Disclosure Statement When the question is raised, why does God allow pain and suffering? its usually because we feel pain and suffering is unjust. However, God allows Christians to suffer for reasons that go beyond the curse. Again, let me reiterate Im not talking about suffering. We rebelled against God, and still do. But God has revealed answers through the Bible and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. This doesnt mean that the Bible doesnt tell us how to think about our suffering now, it actually equips us. We also know that God created man with a free will giving Adam and Eve the ability to make choices. In Jesus, we have that assurance.". The pain is a defense mechanism that keeps you from further harm. We see that God actually comes to the planet, he actually lives among us so that he understands our suffering, our hurt, our pain. 1. The question, "why does God allow pain and suffering," is always asked of pain and suffering experienced by those we deem to be innocent or undeserving of such affliction. Third, our attitude in suffering should glorify God. Pain is what causes us to grow. Now you ask, why does God allow pain, suffering, and failure in our lives? We will get to why does God allow suffering? The logic being: If God is all powerful, then He cannot be loving and allow human suffering, because a loving God would not tolerate pain. But first we need to understand what suffering is and isnt. Not by trying to produce heaven on earth but by recognizing that for the Christian the best is yet to be.. I want you to go to heaven. But you must respond to Him. If God is good, why do people suffer? Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. Pain and suffering was not present. But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. To enjoy our website, you'll need to enable JavaScript in your web browser. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. Pastor. Doesnt God care that Im suffering? He is a God of love, hope, and peace. Privacy Not even someone as important to Gods work as the Apostle Paul escaped pain and suffering. The life of Christ argues against this idea because he was without sin (2 Cor. Harm that was brought upon us by another human. When you see someone who is clearly suffering but can still say: God is with Me. But with time and it may take us a long time we need to get to the place where we stop asking why and ask what. (Ask Dr. Stanley) In Touch Ministries 979K subscribers 502K views 10 years ago God has the power to prevent suffering and calamity--so why. Hebrews 5:14 tells us, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.". This pain can be intense. We might not like the pain, but it does serve a purpose. But until then, we are told to trust in His plan. God allows pain in the life of an unbeliever so that they will become a believer. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son (see Romans 8:28-29).. If He allows us to go through pain, suffering and loss, then He has something good He wants us to accomplish. God loves us, but because of our sinful nature, He allows these things to happen. God allows for suffering, but He did not create it. According to a recent report, 1 in 3 Americans take pain medication every day. Pastor and author Alister Begg writes, How did Paul handle his sufferings and encourage the church to face theirs? It's common to wonder if our suffering is God's Will. Why does God allow pain? Through free will, we have the freedom to do what we want and whatever pleases us. Their minds were created to be governed by communion with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the innocent suffer (see Job 1-2 ), but God can redeem that suffering. So before we dive into the specific question of why does God allow suffering? BGEA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. If you let it. Just pray more. We grow the most in the hard seasons of life. You can feel for them in that suffering situation. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both." 3. When Satan led Adam and Eve into disobeying Jehovah, an important question was raised. Not only can pain and love co-exist but when you choose to love you risk pain. Some day, for all of you, if you dont know God, the music will stop. In suffering there is also a message of compassion. While our natural reaction to pain is to avoid it, get rid of it, or numb it; we need to realize that God allows pain. The Bible doesnt diminish our experience of suffering. Ive been there. For example, you might be passed over for a seemingly great job opportunity, only to get a better one later. Sin is sin, and will always have dire consequences. Because He allows us to have free choiceto be humans and not preprogrammed robots. In fact, our suffering is a sign of God's love. What is needed is an experience of deliverance from affliction, comfort in grief and restoration in brokenness. But love requires a choice. Theres a larger story unfolding that you and I are not privy too. Paul alludes this in Galatians 6:2, when he writes, Bear one anothers burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. The church is not meant to be an association of loosely bound individuals but a community of individuals bound together. Stimulates the development of certain virtues in a polytheistic worldview, as above... More about Gods response to the pain, and so fulfill the law of Christ against., comfort in grief and restoration in brokenness for free, sent twice a week from the POST... Certain virtues in a polytheistic worldview, as noted above, pain, we are to alongside... From Him in hopes they will return to Him get rid of we are to Come alongside them to them... 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