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The subject of suffering is one that perplexes more Christians than any. Agnostics hold up the question of why God allows suffering as a reason for not accepting Christ. If we are children of God, why does He let us suffer?
There isn’t one answer to the question just as there isn’t just one kind of suffering. No human could possibly address the topic completely. We would do well to remember that no matter what sort of suffering we experience in our lives, it’s not a suffering that Jesus didn’t experience, too.
Jesus is God and He took on a frail human body and experienced every kind of suffering that we experience. So He certainly understands our suffering. He certainly knows what it feels like to be in physical pain, lose a loved one, live in poverty, and be hated. Isaiah’s prediction about the Christ is an accurate picture of Him, “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (Isaiah 53:3 KJV)
But knowing that He understands our suffering doesn’t explain it does it? We all want to know why. We have a need to fit our circumstances into a rational explanation. And, for some suffering, there are explanations.
Often, our suffering is the result of free will. We many times suffer from choices that we make in our lives, even if they seemed to be good choices or the best possible choice. Other times, we suffer the consequences of some other person exercising their free will. An abused child certainly suffers. Yet, that suffering is the result of an abuser exercising free will against that child. To prevent this kind of suffering, wouldn’t God have to take away our free will?
Free will plays into the laws of reaping and sowing, too. We are like farmers, sowing seeds into our lives. Sometimes, we sow bad seeds and we have a season of bad harvest, suffering, as a result. This is not always our fault. We get seeds from lots of places, ourselves, others and just random bags off the shelf. Yet, just as a farmer sows seed and hopes for the best crop possible from that seed, so must we. Job 4:8 says, “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same. “ But the good news is, “They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.” (Psalm 126:5 KJV)
We are not helpless in this sowing. Once you survive a bad harvest, you’ll have greater understanding of how to plant a better crop for the next season. The more effort you put into sowing a good crop, the better your harvest will be. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.´ (2 Corinthians 9:6 KJV)
Some say that suffering is punishment for sin in our lives. While suffering may at times be consequences of sin, it is no more punishment than wealth is reward for righteousness. We tend to labor under the belief that good things should happen to good people and bad things should happen to bad people. This belief is in error, though. Some things happen just because they happen. They are not tied to good or bad, they just are. It’s hard for us to accept that, but it doesn’t make it any less true.
Job is one of the Bible’s examples of suffering. Job was righteous; God said so in His conversation with Satan. Yet God allowed Satan to have his way with Job, demanding only that Job’s life be spared. Why would God do such a thing to poor Job? God only knows. When Job begged God for answers, God answered in Chapter 38:1-4
1 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who is this who darkens counsel By words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me. 4 "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding. (NKJV)
God’s reply to Job goes on, prodding Job and reminding him that the creation ought not question the Creator. Job could no more understand God’s reasoning than a pot could understand why the potter gave it handles. We do not have the capacity to understand God’s ways. And that is entirely frustrating.
When we search for answers for our suffering, how often are we looking for a doorstep to lay blame on? Most of the time? I can only answer for me, and that answer would have to be yes. Whatever gave me the idea that I should be without suffering, though? The Bible never promises us life without suffering. But it does promise us that we are blessed by our suffering. 1 Peter 3:14a.
“But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: “
So what are we supposed to do with suffering? How should we respond to it? Do what you can with it to make it useful and respond to it with faith. Times of suffering are when we need God the most. Use the suffering to draw closer to Him. Rely on Him for comfort instead of answers. This is the way He wants us to respond to suffering. He asks us to trust Him. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Christ begged God to lift the burden of the Cross from him, but God had to say no for the greater good, our salvation. Though Christ dreaded the sacrifice He knew He had to make, He trusted in God to make all things work for the good. This is how we must learn to deal with adversity; accept it and believe that God will make it work for the good.
There are no easy answers to the puzzle of suffering. Sometimes our pain will make no sense at all. Sometimes we’ll look out and see others who don’t deserve it getting the things that we so desperately want. During these times, we must not look for answers but respond in faith. No one said this would be easy, only that it will pay off with eternal life.
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