Why does a loving God allow suffering?
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was January of 2020, just months before Covid-19 became “a thing” and a huge deal at that! I was suffering from an upper respiratory ailment. It actually lasted around six weeks before I totally recovered. And although I tested negative for Covid-19 antibodies in the summer of 2020, I can testify if I didn’t contract Covid-19, it must have been something like Covid-15, 16, 17 or 18! It was nasty. I wouldn’t consider myself a complainer, but I honestly don’t like to suffer. Suffering is not fun, and it’s certainly not a desirable part of the human condition. Yet, it is pervasive. And on this side of eternity suffering exists in spades! For the wages of sin…”
Suffering – whether physical, mental, or emotional – whether great or small – is an aspect of life we simply wouldn’t choose to experience!
As an existential issue, suffering provides a huge challenge for people.
Why? Well, because of the “why?”
Why suffering? An add to that – if God, why suffering?
The problem of suffering is a universal dilemma, and as we think about our witness to others, we will be confronted by the following objection:
Why does a loving God allow suffering?
Job rightly noted that “man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward” (Job 5:7). Certainly a major aspect of that trouble is suffering. Job knew suffering on a massive level.
As believers we are confronted with suffering. And there are times when we ask, “Why, God?” There may be times when there is no answer in this life. Other times we may receive a glimpse of the purpose. But ultimately, we believe that “Father knows best” – meaning we trust our Heavenly Father even when the “why” remains unanswered.
For we are called to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
As we witness to unbelievers, a humble and winsome witness will acknowledge we don’t have all the answers, especially to this deep and profound question. Yet, at the same time, we can confidently state the problem of suffering is not God’s fault.
We can communicate that God’s original environment in the garden of Eden was perfection, which excluded suffering altogether. But with the fall of man, came the curse of death and all suffering.
Suffering speaks volumes, for it communicates that things aren’t the way they were intended. Again, this is not God’s fault. Rather it was due to the choice of man. The chain reaction due to the fall and all its associated ills, namely suffering in all its painful manifestations, is difficult to process – for they are deep, profound, and ubiquitous. As the Apostle Paul wrote, even “all creation groans” (Romans 8:22).
The Lord Jesus was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). In fact, He bore the sin of man, reversing the curse and bringing the cure:
“Therefore, just as through one man sin [and suffering] entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.) Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:12-21).
In addition, some soon tomorrow God will make all things new, promising a reality devoid of sin and suffering for those who trust in Him:
Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
Some want to blame God for suffering, charge He’s unfair and thus rationalize their rejection of Him. Yet He has fully identified with us in our suffering through the person of the Lord Jesus. Additionally, Jesus has not only come to deal with suffering, He’s dealt with and overcome the root cause of suffering – namely sin!
I’ve only brought a basic introduction to dealing with the problem of suffering. Here are some additional resources to expand your thinking on this complicated and important issue.
> Here’s a helpful article by Matt Slick of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM) entitled “If God is all powerful and loving, why is there suffering in the world?
> Another solid resource is this article by Lee Strobel entitled, “Why does God allow pain, suffering?”
As we close a brief introduction to a vast topic, one theologian rightly states: “Ultimately, we can’t know all the reasons why God allows suffering, we just know that He does.”
May we humbly share the love of God, the sinfulness of man, and the reconciliation of suffering and all things to God’s divine plan found in Christ. Amen.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).