The question of why God allows suffering is one that has perplexed believers and nonbelievers alike. If God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving, why does He allow pain, tragedy, and injustice in the world? The Bible provides some insights into this difficult issue.
God Did Not Originally Create a World with Suffering
According to the Bible, when God first created the world, there was no suffering or death. The book of Genesis describes the original creation as “very good” (Genesis 1:31). Humanity lived in a paradise called the Garden of Eden, in perfect relationship with God and one another. There was no sickness, natural disasters, relational strife, or anything else negative. Sin and suffering entered the world only later, after humanity’s disobedience (Genesis 3).
This teaches us two things. First, suffering was not part of God’s original ideal world. It came about later as a result of humanity’s free will. Second, God did not directly cause suffering, but He allowed it into the world because He granted moral freedom to human beings. This leads to the next point.
God Allows Suffering Because of Free Will
God created human beings with the ability to make meaningful choices. We can pursue what is good, beautiful, and true. However, our capacity to choose also enables us to turn away from God’s design. When mankind chose to disobey God, sin entered the world with all its tragic consequences (Romans 5:12). The Bible teaches that much (though not all) of the suffering in this world is a result of the misuse of human free will.
God highly values human freedom and did not want to create mankind as robots who mechanically obey Him. God wanted us to truly know and love Him, which requires the ability to choose otherwise. So God determined it was worth allowing the risk and price of free will, even though He knew it would lead to pain and tragedy. But in His wisdom, God has devised a plan to ultimately do away with suffering forever (Revelation 21:4).
God Can Use Suffering for Good Purposes
Though God does not directly cause suffering, He is still sovereign over it and can use it to accomplish His good purposes. The Bible gives several examples of this:
- Suffering teaches us to rely on God rather than ourselves (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).
- Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4).
- Suffering helps us identify with and comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
- Suffering draws us near to God (Psalm 119:71).
- Jesus’ sufferings on the cross provide the way for our salvation (Hebrews 2:10).
This does not mean that God causes suffering just to teach us lessons. But it does mean He can use suffering, even suffering caused by evil and sin, to accomplish His wise and loving purposes in our lives. We may not understand how in this life, but we can trust His good heart.
God Suffers With Us in Our Suffering
Some wonder if God is detached from human suffering, but the Bible makes it clear this is not so. Jesus came to earth expressly to enter into human pain and bear it with us:
- “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4).
- “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Not only did Jesus experience the full range of human suffering during His earthly life, but He also promised to be with us and strengthen us in our trials (John 16:33). God grieves over the brokenness in this world, and through Christ, He chose to bear it with us. We are never alone in our pain.
God Will Eliminate Suffering Completely in the Future
The Bible assures us that a day is coming when God will utterly vanquish evil and suffering. There will be no more pain, tears, sin, brokenness, or death (Revelation 21:4). God promises to heal the world completely and dwell with us face-to-face.
Believers can look forward to an eternity of joy, peace, and comfort in God’s presence, where “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 21:4). God hates evil, and it breaks His heart even more than it does ours. He is working to eradicate suffering and redeem this fallen world.
Meanwhile, God Comforts Us in Suffering
As we wait for the full redemption of the world, God does not leave us to suffer alone. He promises to be present with us to give strength, comfort, and guidance. “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is His reassurance (Hebrews 13:5). God’s Spirit lives within believers and upholds us even in tremendous hardship (Isaiah 41:10). We can turn to Him in our pain and pour out our hearts to Him (Psalm 62:8).
God often uses other caring believers to share His comfort with the hurting (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). And He reminds us that our present sufferings are light compared to the coming glory: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). Clinging to this eternal perspective gives strength and hope.
We Can Trust God’s Wisdom and Love
The question of suffering is complex, and reasons why God allows it are not fully answerable in this life. But we can rely on God’s character of perfect wisdom and love. He sees the full picture when we have only a limited view. We may not understand how, but we can trust that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28). Suffering can bring tremendous heartache, but we are never without hope because we serve a compassionate God who will redeem it.
Rather than lead people away from faith, the fact that God entered into human suffering in Christ can give great comfort. Jesus is no detached deity, but the Savior who has borne our griefs. His Spirit lives in believers to strengthen and guide even in the darkest valleys. And the promise of eternal joy with no more tears offers hope that sustains amid earthly sorrows. God does allow suffering, but He is no passive bystander. He uses it in ways beyond our understanding, walks through it with us, and promises to end it forever.
Though pain affects all people, those who walk with Christ have special resources to cope with suffering in constructive ways. God’s presence comforts and sustains. His Word provides wisdom and perspective. His people surround with care. His redemption of this fallen world inspires enduring hope, even in the most difficult of circumstances. And the promise of eternal life without sorrow lifts our gaze upwards. With Christ, there is meaning even in our pain, and joy on the other side of our trials.