Biblical Answer

The Mystery of Suffering: Understanding Gods Sovereignty

When we experience chronic pain, it can be tempting to wonder why God is allowing it to control our lives. We may feel hopeless, questioning God's love, forgiveness, and sovereignty. However, the Bible teaches us that God desires no physical pain in his creation, yet he sometimes decides not to prevent it. This is not because God is punishing us or taking pleasure in our suffering. Rather, he may be using our pain as a venue to teach us valuable lessons about trust, obedience, and the nature of sin.

The Importance of Trust and Obedience

From God's perspective, the most important thing he can give us is the power to trust and obey when we feel powerless. This is not to say that he desires our suffering, but that he desires our relationship with him to be one of trust and obedience. The Bible teaches us that sin can lead to affliction, and that pain and suffering can be a result of our own sin or the sin of others. However, even in the midst of suffering, God can use it to bring about knowledge and trust in him. As the Psalmist says, "God, I don't know what you are doing, but you do, and that is enough." Sometimes, turning to God and trusting him with the mysteries of suffering is the answer to the problem of suffering.

Reversing Our Theology of Suffering

Many of us have a faulty theology of suffering, which says that God loves us and wants to heal us, therefore, he should heal us. However, this is not always the case. God's desire is not always to heal us, but to teach us valuable lessons about trust, obedience, and the nature of sin. As the Bible teaches, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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). We must learn to trust God's sovereignty and wisdom, even when we don't understand why he is allowing us to experience chronic pain. Ultimately, it is not about avoiding short-term pain, but about trusting and obeying God, even in the midst of suffering.