Biblical Answer

The question of why we must suffer is a natural and age-old inquiry. Many people feel that God is being harsh or unjust by allowing them to suffer. They may wonder if there is a good reason for their pain and if God is even loving them. However, the Bible teaches us that God is a loving God who is always working for our good, even in the midst of suffering. Jesus, who suffered greatly on our behalf, teaches us that we must not assume God is making us jump through unnecessary hoops. He does not ask us to believe because He is on a divine ego trip, but because He loves us so much.

The Bible also teaches us that God is sovereign and that He knows what He is doing, even when we do not. He is not arbitrary or capricious, but rather, He is a God of love and justice. When we undergo suffering, it is often because God is working to conform us to the image of Christ and to bring us closer to Himself. This suffering can also give us victory over evil, as Jesus became the victim of evil so that we might be victors over evil. Furthermore, God promises to meet us in our suffering and to bring us through it, just as He did with Jesus.

So, why must we suffer? It is not because God does not love us, but because He loves us so much that He wants to transform us into the image of Christ. He wants to bring us through suffering to a place of deeper intimacy with Himself and to give us victory over evil. We must not assume that God is making us suffer unnecessarily, but rather, we must trust that He is working all things together for our good. As the psalmist 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).