Biblical Answer

Understanding the Question

The question of why God allows suffering is a complex and deeply personal issue that has puzzled many for centuries. From an evangelical Christian perspective, the answer lies in the character and purposes of God, as revealed in the Bible.

The Role of Suffering in Our Relationship with God

Suffering is a natural consequence of living in a world where sin and evil have been unleashed. However, as we navigate the challenges of life, we are given the opportunity to draw closer to God and to find meaning and purpose in our struggles. Jesus, who is the God who inhabits our suffering, is the ultimate example of this. He underwent incomprehensible suffering for us, not because He was forced to, but because He loves us so much. As the prophet Isaiah says, He is a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). This means that He is not a distant deity, watching suffering from a safe distance, but a God who is intimately acquainted with our pain and struggles.

God's Good Reasons for Suffering

While it may seem highly improbable that God could have good reasons for permitting the suffering in the world, we must trust that He has a wider framework for understanding the world than we do. Suffering that appears pointless within our limited framework may be seen to have been justly permitted by God within His wider framework. Moreover, God may have to allow a great deal of suffering along the way in order to achieve His purposes. As the Bible says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). This means that even in the midst of suffering, we can trust that God is working all things together for our good. Ultimately, the question of why God allows suffering is not one that we can fully answer, but one that we can trust to God, saying "God, I don't know what you are doing, but you do, and that is enough." (Romans 11:33-36).