Biblical Answer

Understanding Suffering: A Biblical Perspective

Suffering is a universal human experience that has puzzled people for centuries. Why does God allow suffering to occur? Is it because He loves us so much that He wants to heal us, or is it because He is trying to teach us something? As Christians, we must approach this question with a biblical perspective. The Bible teaches us that God is sovereign over all creation and that He is love (1 John 4:8). However, this does not mean that God's love is always easy to understand or that He always intervenes to prevent suffering.

In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus, the Son of God, underwent incomprehensible suffering for us (Philippians 2:8). And why? Because He loves us so much. This should give us pause. If God's love is so great that He would suffer for us, then why would we assume that He wouldn't allow us to suffer? The Bible teaches us that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). This means that we cannot always understand why God allows suffering to occur. However, we can trust that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).

When we suffer, we may feel like complaining to God and asking Him why He allowed it to happen. We may even feel like questioning His love for us. However, the Bible teaches us that God's sovereignty is not limited by our understanding. He is the One Who suffered for us, and He is the One Who can work all things together for our good. We must trust Him, even when we don't understand. As the psalmist wrote, "I will trust in you, my God, for I have made the Lord my refuge, the Most High my dwelling" (Psalm 91:2). We must learn to trust God, even in the midst of suffering, and to see that He is working all things together for our good.