If you have been born into the family of God, you are a child of God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). The assumption is that the story is over. God is causing your suffering because ______. True followers of Jesus are spared from suffering. So, why does God allow pain? Privacy Because tragedy happened to you, it gives you a greater sense of oneness with others who experience tragedy. Find hope, peace, and security today. If you're wondering why God allows us to experience pain and failures, let me encourage you: He loves you, that's why He allows them to happen. All suffering is the result of sin which ultimately produces evil. Hebrews 5:14 tells us, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.". Now we ask: what's the role of God in the coming of death and pain in the world? Philip Yancey in The Question that Never Goes Away. To understand what I mean, consider four verses from the Hebrew Bible. The pain is a defense mechanism that keeps you from further harm. Is it possible that maybe something bigger is unfolding? We might not like it, but its true. What do you have to do to be ready? To grow in you something and to mature you into who he is creating you to be. Our unwillingness to face our pain is a far greater danger than the pain itself. 1. Thus insisting to be at the center. Thus we cannot, or should not, trust Him. Almost all of which contain some kind of message that the pain they encountered ended up being a blessing, something they wouldnt trade. Sign up for Rethink Updates and youll also get access to 3 exclusive articles! The Bible contains a lot of suffering, but surprisingly says little about it. The reality is our understanding of God, of suffering, and of love are all severely limited. Failing to recognize or master these things often creates suffering for others. Sometimes Gods people experience pain and the reasons arent known. Pastor. One day it will all make sense. The book of Job offers great insight on the two ways we can choose to respond to suffering. It was at this point that evil, sickness, disease, and death entered the world and along with it pain and suffering. God May Be Allowing This Emotional Suffering in Your Life Because He Wants a Deeper Relationship with You Also see How To Listen To God to learn more. Back to our question about why God allows pain and suffering. Sometimes the emotional or physical pain of suffering is prolonged. But God has revealed answers through the Bible and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Malcolm Muggeridge writes, Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful, with particular satisfaction., He continues: Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained., Muggeridges pain has helped him understand the cross of Christ: This, of course, is what the Cross signifies. Thanks for reading! With God allowing the Holocaust do you think another Holocaust will ever happen? Reasons for Hope* Jesus, Yes, send me answers to interesting and challenging questions about Jesus and the Bible. When I was asked to explain the tragedy of the fire at the MGM Grand Hotel, I had to say, Theres a mystery to tragedies like this. Now you ask, why does God allow pain, suffering, and failure in our lives? The lives we live are a starch contrast to the stories we are drawn too. Paradoxically, love is the greater reason, and God will allow His creation to go through anything in the name of love. We decide where we move too. The Bibles approach to the problem of suffering makes it clear that discernment is necessary every step of the way. Thats what faith demands, believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse. For humans, there is a mystery as to why God created the earth. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his . Pain and suffering are realities in our everyday life. Pain has a way of showing people the futility of material possessions, unholy ambition, and wealth. He created the earth, and all that is in it, to be in perfect harmony with His character and nature. Is it possible that He using pain for our good? Easter Greeting from Reasons for Hope* Jesus. See you next time! Physical death is just the death of the body, but the spirit lives on. When the complexity of suffering rears us its head, we will find ourselves ill-equipped to deal with the ramifications. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. The problem is our culture sees pain as the enemy. This was a mission destined to have failure in it. Some physical evil may be the result of the original sin of Adam and Eve ( Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-14 ). He is also the foundation for morality. And our actions brought evil and suffering into the world. In other words, deny yourself what you want, and then follow me. Those are two very different responses. Whatever its source, nature, and prognosis, pain sometimes leads people to question God. Do Gods children experience pain? They will ask, How is it that Christ is so in control of his or her life that he or she was able to help others?. We grow the most in the hard seasons of life. Yet, we know all too well in our world pain can quickly move to suffering. This verse doesnt mean that God wont give you more than you can handle. Also see How to Ask God for Help to learn more. One day "there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain" (Revelation 21:4). But hopefully this has helped you understand why suffering exists and Gods response to our pain. When Satan led Adam and Eve into disobeying Jehovah, an important question was raised. Its pain that will grow you. God does not put you through pain, but rather the pain you go through comes as a result of disobedience or wrong choices you make, or sometimes from the wickedness in the world. Before we go any further we need to define the difference between pain and suffering. Why do you allow so much pain?" Be it a job loss, illness, or loss of a spouse or child, these are questions we've all had. Compounding the pain of suffering are the answers often given by Christians. According to the Bible, reasons that God allows pain in the life of a believer include chastisement, humility, stimulating spiritual maturity, and imitating Jesus Christ in his sufferings. Well, not so fasttheres a problem with that question. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affliliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links. Suffering is coming to an end. Their minds were created to be governed by communion with God through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Bible spends much its time reminding us that our suffering is not meaningless, there is hope. Dont forget to leave a comment! The Enigma of Suicide: Answers From Billy Graham. There is joy and there is misery. Not by trying to produce heaven on earth but by recognizing that for the Christian the best is yet to be.. Pain is, in most cases, a good thing. To become better at your job? So, will you let your pain teach you? The first thing we must recognize is that God sees the larger picture and is orchestrating everything for His glory, which is to our benefit. Why does God allow suffering? 52:13-53:12). The problem is often in our world pain can quickly move to suffering. So what should we do the next time we experience some kind of pain? The logic being: If God is all powerful, then He cannot be loving and allow human suffering, because a loving God would not tolerate pain. Use PayPal or a Credit Card for safe, secure giving. God allows pain in the life of an unbeliever so that they will become a believer. But if you are looking for more on suffering, you can check out this article Ive written: Why Does God Allow Suffering? Since suffering exists, the assumption is God is either loving but impotent, or powerful but calloused. But thats how we are acting, isnt it? Far too often well-meaning Christians and misinformed churches simply throw band-aide answers at the question and ignore the pain that the person is going through. Jesus requires the pain of dying to our self-interests to follow up. The question, "why does God allow pain and suffering," is always asked of pain and suffering experienced by those we deem to be innocent or undeserving of such affliction. Why is there pain in the world? to learn more. As Christians, we need to listen to the whole biblical narrative to appreciate its multifaceted handling of the problem. But God sees the bigger picture and one day He will reveal it to us. Id love to hear from you! He was a pastor for 10 years. But man rebelled against God. Rather, pain has a purpose and is a blessing. And if he's powerful, he'd be able to eradicate it, right? Nevertheless, Satan was allowed access to the earth, and he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. 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I want you to go to heaven. But you must respond to Him. Because of this, some people will get angry with God, believing He did nothing to stop the sin that unfolded. Our response to the two should be different. Instead, He forewarned the man and allowed him to decide for himself. Whats been your experience wrestling through this question, why does God allow suffering? Yes, the innocent suffer (see Job 1-2 ), but God can redeem that suffering. Everything we see and experience, from illnesses and injuries to grievous injustices and moral decay, are the result of a fallen world. Adam and Eves bodies were created to be perfect in all ways no illness or injury. To pick up one theme of suffering in Scripture is to miss the entire picture. Harm that was brought upon us by another human. (John 17), Thats My King! But until then, we are told to trust in His plan. But let's look at four specific biblical reasons why God ordains suffering for his people. And thats the Gospel, right? Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. What caused you to appreciate life more? They're actually meant to make us see our grave need for Him. Jesus told his followers, "Go and make disciples of all nations.". Evil words and actions have left great marks on our hearts, minds and bodies. Time stamps below. Everything we see and experience, from illnesses and injuries to grievous injustices and moral decay, are the result of a fallen world. First, we can find meaning in the midst of suffering. We too have played the role of sinner, harming others with the choices we make. In Second Corinthians we read: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. The closest he ever came was when he said, Show me why You contend with me (Job 10:2). <. But God has provided a rescue in the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. To mature from a teen to an adult? Indeed, our beliefs about God and suffering expose the fault lines between our natural assumptions and the biblical narrative. One important answer to this question is to say they should imitate Christ, who suffered more than anyone. The comfort of God that we can extend to others isnt limited to the church and is not limited to shared experience. Are you prepared to meet God? Just because He hasnt, doesnt mean He wont. Christians experience pain to spiritual maturity through the imitation of Christ. The hope and peace we so desperately seek is not found in stopping every bad thing from . [1] Some people take pain medication once a day; others take it multiple times per day. Husband. And lets not forget Point 2, its not pointless. But would that really be good? Thats why Christ died on the cross. In suffering there is also, I believe, a message of warning. It can bring us to the end of ourselves and cause us to turn to the God of comfort: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For example, you might be passed over for a seemingly great job opportunity, only to get a better one later. If He's good, why allow pain and suffering? Let me explain. Still, what did God do after Adam and Eve fell? Challenges as something to be avoided. In doing so, we get to know the consequences of what we choose to do and realize that our free will is not something to take lightly. Thats a different topic that you can read here: Why Does God Allow Suffering? That's what a lot of people assume is meant by God being 'loving'. Hope is not lost. That way they can benefit from it as you have. In suffering there is a message of unity. Human suffering remains meaningless and barren unless we have some assurance that God is sympathetic to our pain, and can somehow heal the pain. When we think of suffering, we often think of God being far away from us. Writer. 1. Thankfully the Bible offers a better answer to the question: why does God allow suffering? He will set all things right in the end. Rather it focuses on how we should respond. God wants us to realize that and freely do what is good and right by our own choice, not because He is forcing us to. There is a mystery as to why He put people on this earth. Also see Why Does God Let People Suffer? But we can understand what God has spoken to us through His Word. But the creatures are not happy. For to this you have been called, because Christ also . Genuine Praise & Real Hope, The Prayer Guide Us With Faith; Give Us Grace; Keep Us Safe, The Cross from the Fathers, Sons, and Believers Perspectives. As a spiritual advice columnist, I am frequently asked why God allows suffering. All of our problems and our suffering, including death itself, are a result of mans rebellion against God. in a minute. So, lets look at what suffering is and how a good God can allow suffering to exist. A better spouse? He clothed them (see Genesis 3:21). The answer to this question is that none of us are truly innocent or undeserving. Pastors know well that no two people under their care are in the same place . We get to choose. But in a monotheistic worldview, why would God allow pain and suffering? Will I ever get better? What we go through might be because of what we choose, but God always has a good plan for us (see Jeremiah 29:11). Thanks to us, the moral . Its easy to see this in someone else life and doubt in our own life. God is loving and merciful, kind and good, all-knowing and perfect in all His ways. In a polytheistic worldview, as noted above, pain and suffering are simply factors caused by malevolent gods. One of our cultural values is freedom. I want to forgive you. If He allows us to go through pain, suffering and loss, then He has something good He wants us to accomplish. Why do Christians experience pain? God is restoring creation to His original design. When we grow wise through experience, we can become a people able and willing to choose what pleases the Lord. Or, if God is all loving, then He cannot be all powerful, or He would do something about it. Now you ask, why does God allow pain, suffering, and failure in our lives? He didnt avoid it, he used it. Although I was only two years old, this pain resurfaced as I grew older. to learn more. Sometimes pain increases a persons dependence on God, leads them to draw near to him more, and causes them to study the Bible and pray more. Twice in the verse below Paul states that the reason for his thorn in the flesh was to keep him from becoming conceited. But pain isnt our enemy. Scripture tells us, We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). The answer to this question is that none of us are truly innocent or undeserving. Accidents and diseases do not discriminate. Its not by Gods design, its by our sin. The people surveyed reported that pain limits their activity three days per week on average. God uses suffering to expose the sin that clings so closely to our hearts. Grief causes ones life to halt and become devoid of meaning. Reasons for Hope* Jesus exists to glorify God by equipping you to know Jesus better, to love Jesus more & to share your faith. But there is another possible answer: God's purpose for human beings is to bring them to know and love him. We need your help to keep our site ad-free. If God is good, why do people suffer? Reconciling how a good and loving God could allow such pain in their lives (or someone close) is difficult. The truth is: If God can't somehow love you through the pain and suffering, then He shields you from it. Not only can pain and love co-exist but when you choose to love you risk pain. This question takes on a whole different (and painful) reality when we are the ones suffering. We might not like the pain, but it does serve a purpose. We can only see whats right in front of us. You and I are not the center. In suffering there is also a message of compassion. Have You Read Jesus Last Will and Testament? But the point is in our fallen world sometimes pain turns to suffering. But the God of the Bible charts a different course. 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