Biblical Answer

Understanding God's Sovereignty and Love

The question of why God lets us struggle when He's supposed to be all-loving is a complex one. It's natural to wonder how a loving God can permit suffering when we experience it. However, we must consider the nature of God's love and sovereignty. God is not just partly loving, but all-loving, meaning He loves every individual equally. This all-loving nature of God means He has the freedom to save some but not all, which is a crucial aspect of His sovereignty.

The Role of Suffering in Our Relationship with God

Suffering is not something that God imposes on us, but rather it's a means to an end. Through our struggles and pain, we are offered perseverance, the character of God. Hardships are intended to give us a spiritual makeover, to help us find God in our suffering. This is not about exclusion from His love and affection, but rather about reconciliation with Him. The suffering of Christ, for example, was not imposed on Him, but rather it was an active suffering of love, which ultimately led to our salvation.

God's Love and Sovereignty in Action

God's love for us is not about changing our circumstances, but about being in a relationship with Him. Jesus is not just a means to an end, but the end itself. He is the resurrector, the one who gives us life and purpose. When we experience suffering, we must remember that God meets us in it and promises to bring us through it. We must appreciate the beauty of His love, admire it, and behold it. We can see this in the example of Job, who chose not to deny his God in the midst of unrelenting pain. Similarly, we can apply this by considering specific ways to love God and others, even in the midst of suffering. Ultimately, God's love and sovereignty are not mutually exclusive, but rather they work together to bring about our salvation and reconciliation with Him.