Episode 42 - Why Does God Allow Suffering

If there is anything we share it is that all of us have experienced suffering at some level.  I often marvel at the resiliance and grace others express as I know the suffering they are enduring.  

A question that is often asked is why God allow suffering.  Isn't He all powerful and all loving?  How then can He allow suffering to happen to His greatest creation.

In this episode I try to present some thoughts about this question.  I don't have all the answers.  In fact, I continue also to have questions.  But this I know.  I serve a loving God who gave His Son Jesus to suffer so that one day I and others can see an end to all suffering as we stand in His presence.

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Please contact me if you have questions or you wish to share with me something about your walk with the Master. My email is walkingwithourmaster@gmail.com

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Transcript

Hello friends, I'm your host Dave Laton and welcome to the podcast, Walking With Our Master, an outreach of the Prattville Church of Christ designed to inform, encourage, and teach as we daily walk with our Master.

In this episode I want to address something that I was recently asked about and have thought about myself.  I want to look at the question of why God allows suffering.  I don’t have all the answers for this.  In fact, I continue to have questions.  But I would like to share some thoughts about this question.  I also encourage you to contact me with your thoughts.

Suffering is part of our humanity and is experienced in many ways.  Suffering means experiencing something that is unpleasant, painful, or difficult.  Suffering is a very personal thing.  It affects all of us individually and we see it from our perspective.  

All of us have experienced suffering at some level.  When we experience it, we tend to look primarily at how it affects us as an individual.  This is a normal reaction. What cause one person to suffer might not cause another to suffer.  And how someone deals with it, is dealt with differently than someone else.  And sometimes, how we deal with it in one situation is different than how we deal with it in a similar situation.  It also seems that we experience deeper and greater suffering when something directly affects us.  For example, the closer we are to someone, the greater we suffer. 

I recently did an internet search about types of suffering.  I found a lot of articles listing multiple types of suffering.  Some listed 3, 4, 7, 10, 14, and more different types of suffering.  Although there are many types of suffering it generally comes down to three categories.  Physical suffering.  This includes bodily pain and discomfort.  Then there is mental/emotional suffering.  This includes psychological stress, fear, despair, and depression.  The third general category is social/interpersonal.  This includes the times when we feel isolated from those around us, especially those we love or have a relationship with.  It is also noted that these three overlap to some degree.  My physical suffering impacts my mental and emotional state and will likely impact my social and interpersonal relationships.  Sadly, in our suffering we might actually push others away.

I also notice something from the various listings of types of suffering.  First, there is a great desire to understand what suffering is and a desire to help others deal with it.

I also see that it is a complex issue that cannot be easily explained. There most certainly is not a “one size fits all” to the kinds of suffering or how we deal with it.

With all that said, we do feel compelled to help others understand suffering and to not only survive it but thrive from it.

The question I want to discuss is one that has been asked for all of mankind.  Why does God who is all loving and all powerful allow His greatest creation to suffer?  This question is asked by believers as well as non-believers in God.

I’m pleased that most of us do not blame God directly for suffering.  We recognize that God does not cause suffering but does allow it to happen.  So, the question “why” is a good question. 

If you are looking to blame God, remember that God created a perfect world for us.  It was a world without sin.  Unfortunately, sin did enter the world and as a result, we have suffered ever since.  Also remember that God experiences suffering when we suffer.  He suffered when Adam and Eve sinned.  He suffered with the sin of humanity that led Him to destroy evil and start new by causing the great flood.  And we can go on and on through the history of man to see where our sin caused God to suffer.  But the greatest suffering God experienced was when our Lord Jesus suffered the cross and died for our sins.  Because of that, one day the faithful will stand in the presence of God and all suffering will end.  But in the meantime, suffering is real, and we must learn to understand and deal with it. 

As I’ve stated, we see that suffering has been a part of our experience since sin entered the world.  We should not be surprised when we experience suffering or see others around us suffer.  I’m not trying to lessen the impact; I just want us to be aware that others suffer as well.  This is important to note because sometimes when we are suffering there is an intense loneliness associated with it.  I’ve said it many times before and will continue to say that we are not alone, especially in times of suffering.  There are so many that love us, depend on us, and want to help us.  The worst thing we can do is isolate ourselves.

I want to share with you some thoughts about why God allows suffering.  Some of these are difficult lessons.  Before I look at these, remember, the greater our relationship with God, the greater we can understand and deal with suffering.  It is difficult to seek a relationship with God during suffering if we don’t already have that relationship.  So don’t wait until we’re struggling.  Let’s develop and strengthen that relationship now.  

Let’s look at some reasons why God might allow suffering.

Perhaps one reason God allows suffering is that it provides us an opportunity to identify good things in ourselves, including finding a level of humility.  This might seem counter intuitive because when we’re suffering, it can be difficult to identify something good.  Suffering can remind us that we are not in control of our lives as much as we might think.  For some, this can be very a very humbling experience.  Perhaps in our pride, whether we realize it or not, we might think we can handle anything life throws at us.  Many of us have grown much closer to others as we’ve gone through suffering and realize they are there for us and can help us.

 Another reason might be that suffering can lead us to realize how much we must depend on God.  We learn to turn to God to find comfort in the dark valley we find ourselves in.  We learn to overcome the fear and loneliness by realizing God is there for us.  I’m reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30, 

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

As I think on this verse, I remember the suffering our Lord endured for my benefit.  And not mine alone, but for all that would turn to Him. 

Suffering also reminds us that we are not immortal.  Our life is finite.  This realization can help us seek out our God and draw closer to Him.

Suffering also allows us to grow in wisdom.  This is especially true if the result of suffering is from our poor choices.  One of the greatest gifts God gives us is the ability to make choices.  All too often, we choose poorly, or others make poor choices that directly impact us.  If the suffering is caused by our poor choices, then we can reflect on our decisions and actions and grow from the experience.

By the way, isn’t it wonderful when our children make good choices, live as we wish they would, and grow into productive citizens and parents in their own right?  That is how God feels about us.  He is thrilled when we choose to love Him, honor Him, and show Him to others so they too might come to know Him.  

As we are going through suffering, it is difficult to look for something good from it.  But it is possible to find good.  Many grow closer to those that love them as they experience the care and love given to them.  It also gives us a chance to learn how to help others.  I work as a volunteer at my local cancer center where I received such wonderful care.  I was anxious to complete my care so I could begin to help others.  And I am surrounded by other volunteers and professionals that are giving back because they experienced loving and compassionate care.  So there is good that can come for suffering.  I have also stated many times that one of the best ways to grow in hope is to look to see how we can help others.  It points us away from self and reminds us that we are not alone.

As I’ve already stated and want to remind you again, the worst thing we can do is to isolate ourselves.  This has the effect of leading us to feel hopeless. That is a dangerous and unnecessary condition.

Here are some more thoughts about suffering, especially when innocent people suffer.

Bad things also happen to good people in this world, but this world is not the end of our existence.  The final chapter of our life has not been written.  Those that have a relationship with our Lord develop an eternal view that helps us see beyond the experiences of this life.  We keep this view, especially when going through suffering.

We look for ways to turn the bad things in this life to good.  We submit our suffering to God in prayer and seek to do His will, especially in times of suffering.  

I’m reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:18-20.  Paul is in captivity as he writes this encouraging letter to the Christians in Ephesus.  It stands today as an encouragement to us.  As he is closing the letter he urges them to put on the armor of God so they can withstand Satan’s attacks.  Then he makes a remarkable statement.  As he encourages them to pray, he asks for prayers for himself.  But the request is not that he will be freed from the suffering of his captivity.  Rather, he asks for prayers that he can fulfill his ministry of proclaiming the good news of Jesus, and to do so boldly.  So Paul is an example of looking find good and continuing to do good, especially in the times of suffering.

Another Bible verse I’m reminded of is found in Psalm 46:10. God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  This well-known verse encourages us to think about and trust God, especially during difficult times.  To be still means to let go of anxieties, worries and striving and look for God’s presence amid the chaos.  In doing so we learn to recognize God’s power, love, and care for His creation.

I want to conclude by saying again that I do not have all the answers about why God allows suffering.  But I do know this.  If we allow him to do so, Satan will use the suffering that he caused to drive us further away from God.  That is his mission.  He will use anything he can against us, especially suffering.  It turns into a vicious cycle.  We suffer and blame God.  This moves us away from God.  This leads to even more suffering and misery.  And the cycle repeats itself.  We can break the cycle by turning to God during suffering.  Remember, we are not alone in this.  There are those of us who look to help you break that cycle and discover the love and comfort of our Lord.

Well friends, I'm your host Dave Laton.  Thank you for joining us in this podcast.  I hope you will continue to do so. If you wish to share with me something from your walk with our Master or you would like to learn more, please email me at:

walkingwithourmaster@gmail.com.

I invite you to follow our podcast and share it with others as together we walk with our Master.  And until next time, remember, we give all glory to God the Father.