Why Does a Loving God Allow Suffering?

None of us like to suffer but every person who has ever lived has suffered. Looking back on my life I have experienced many occasions to be overwhelmed by suffering. A few of these include a neck injury ending a potential pro football career; being on the verge of bankruptcy after the real estate market crashed; our primary profitable business wiped out by COVID; my wife suffering with cancer for 13 years which ended her earthly life after 55 years of marriage; and other current struggles.

All of God’s people who are revealed in the Old and New Testaments have had struggles and suffering including Jesus Christ. So, why does our loving Heavenly Father allow suffering of His loved ones?

Suffering by Jesus was necessary to save Jesus’ followers from the penalty of sin; suffering by Jesus’ followers helps save them/us from the power of sin; and physical death with its suffering saves Jesus’ followers from the presence of sin.

 Suffering teaches us that God is more concerned about character than He is about comfort. Romans 5:3-5 “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Through His grace, God changes hearts and not necessarily circumstances.

Suffering bankrupts our resources and therefore makes us dependent upon God. 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But He (God) said ’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Suffering also teaches us humility (the opposite of pride). Paul realizes that truth and expresses it in 2 Corinthians 12:7. “The things God showed me were so great. But to keep me from being too full of pride because of seeing these things, I have been given trouble in my body. It was sent from Satan to hurt me. It keeps me from being proud.”

Suffering enables us to help others in their trials. 2 Corinthians 1:4 “God comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Suffering produces a broken and a contrite heart, which delights God, according to Psalm 51:17. Suffering reveals what we really love. Suffering is a test of our love. 

Suffering produces trust and intimacy with God. Trials teach us to value the favor of God because in the midst of trials, that’s the only thing that we cry out for, the loving kindness of God. Psalm 63:3 “Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.” When life gets down to the bare level of existence in the midst of anguish, the loving kindness of God becomes enough.

“The dominant characteristic of an authentic spiritual life is the gratitude that flows from trust—not only for all the gifts that I receive from God, but gratitude for all the suffering. Because in that purifying experience, suffering has often been the shortest path to intimacy with God”. – Brennan Manning, American author and speaker.

Suffering produces an eternal perspective. The Bible provides innumerous examples of God using suffering for His loved ones’ eternal good. Suffering is an invitation to be who God wants His loved ones to be now and in eternity.   Romans 8:18   “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18   “ For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal”.

“Suffering is at the very heart of the Christian faith. It is not the only way Christ became like us and redeemed us, but it is one of the main ways we become like him and experience his redemption. And that means that our suffering, despite its painfulness, is also filled with purpose and usefulness.”  Timothy Keller, American pastor and author.