Biblical Answer

Understanding the Mystery of Suffering

The question of why God allows us to suffer when we're doing everything right is a complex and age-old conundrum. It's natural to feel frustrated and even angry when we experience pain and hardship, especially when we feel like we're living a virtuous life. However, the Bible teaches us that suffering is an inevitable part of living in a fallen world. God created us with the capacity for knowledge and understanding, but sin entered the picture, causing suffering and pain to become a part of our experience.

The Purpose of Suffering

But why does God allow us to suffer when we're doing everything right? One reason is that suffering allows God to work His grace into our lives. If we were rewarded immediately for our good deeds, we would become complacent and self-sufficient, losing sight of our dependence on God. Suffering, on the other hand, keeps us humble and reminds us of our need for God's mercy and provision. Moreover, suffering often brings us closer to God, as we learn to trust Him in the midst of pain and hardship. As the Bible says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

The Limits of Human Understanding

It's also important to recognize that we can't fully understand God's reasons for allowing suffering. We may try to reduce God to human terms and subject Him to our moral judgment, but this is a futile endeavor. God is sovereign and operates according to His own purposes, which are often beyond our comprehension. As the Bible says, "My ways are not your ways, nor are my thoughts your thoughts, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8-9). In the face of suffering, we can choose to trust God, even when we don't understand His reasons. We can say with Job, "I know that my redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God" (Job 19:25-26). Ultimately, our goal is to have a relationship with God, and finding Him in our suffering is the point.