Biblical Answer

The Purpose of Suffering in Our Lives

From a biblical perspective, suffering is not something to be avoided, but rather an opportunity to deepen our faith and relationship with God. Struggle makes us stronger and builds us up, but this result is achieved only when we face the struggle head-on, not when we run from it. As Gary and Betsy Ricucci said, "Struggle makes us stronger; it builds us up and deepens our faith." Through our struggles and pain, we are being offered perseverance, the character of God, and a spiritual makeover. Hardships are intended to give us a deeper understanding of God's love and character.

God's Sovereignty and Our Trust

God doesn't let us suffer because he doesn't love us. He meets us in our suffering and promises to bring us through it. Jesus isn't a means to an end to change our circumstances; He is the end. He isn't just a way to get a better life; He is the resurrected Lord who offers us eternal life. The goal of our existence is relationship with Him, finding Him in our suffering is the point. Suffering and sin are closely linked, and recognizing the role of suffering in our relationship with Christ helps us understand the purpose of our struggles. As theologian Millard Erickson said, "God himself became the victim of evil so that he and we might be victors over evil."

Trust and Faith in the Midst of Suffering

When we suffer, it's easy to question God's love and sovereignty. But we must remember that God's work is to have full victory, and universal obedience, not just the victory over the sins which trouble our soul. He underwent incomprehensible suffering for us, and why? Because He loves us so much. How can we reject Him who gave up everything for us? When God asks us to undergo suffering that seems unmerited, pointless, or unjust, we must trust that He is working it out for our good, even when we can't see it. We must remember that our struggles are an opportunity to deepen our faith and relationship with God, and to become more like Him. Through the fires of suffering, He refines us, and we become changed men, like Job, who directly encounters God, comes to know Him, and becomes a changed man.