PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...
“I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33
The Problem of Evil & Suffering
You’ve heard it before, perhaps you might have asked it yourself. It is likely the most theologically relevant and frequently asked question of all: If God is all good and all-powerful, then how could God allow suffering in the world? The absolute truth of the matter is that the world was not created to include suffering at all. The slip of humanity’s fallen nature is visibly on display whenever the question is asked insinuating that evil and suffering is somehow all God’s fault. I realize how prevalent and popular it is to blame someone else for what goes wrong, but let’s get the narrative of fault bearing where evil and suffering is concerned correct. The evil and suffering we see and experience in the world is not of God’s making; it is of our own making. It came as a result of the rebellion of humanity when Adam and Eve first decided to rebel and go their own way. Evil and suffering are the byproducts of the fall of humanity and the fall of humanity was the byproduct of sin, period.
Now what is evident from the fall of mankind is that evil exists in our world because humanity was created with free will, providing everyone with the choice to either love and serve God or to love and serve ourselves. The supreme biblical example of human suffering comes from the life and historical account of Job. Satan tried to prove that Job only loved and served God because God was so good to him. So God gave permission for Job to go through great suffering. He lost his children, his livestock, and his health. And yet he said to his wife, "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" (Job 2:10). And later he said, "Though He slay me, I will hope in Him" (Job 13:15). It is easy to give glory to God when everything is fine and you are feeling good, but the test comes when you can love and trust Him when afflicted. In the end, of course, God more than restored all that Job lost.
So Job provides an outstanding example of one who faced evil and held strong to his faith. Evil is something like darkness. There is no such thing as darkness; it is merely the absence of light. People who are evil may become that way by fleeing from God, the light, and therefore lack true goodness. The only certain way to free oneself from evil is to run to the Light of Christ who is the Light of the World.
Christians may readily understand that they live in a fallen world and therefore suffering is bound to happen, but why does it occur for the Christian who has repented and loves God? The Bible actually has a lot to say about why God allows Christians to suffer. Below is a list of 11 reasons with the accompanying Bible references; the first several apply to all people.
1. Suffering is a result of the fall, and therefore a part of life (Luke 13:4-5; John 16:33; 1 Pet. 2:19).
2. Suffering increases your compassion and equips you to comfort others who suffer (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
3. Suffering strengthens your character (Rom. 5:3-5; James 1:2-4).
4. Suffering is often a direct result of sin, and therefore teaches obedience (Pss. 107:17; 119:67, 71; Heb. 5:7-8).
5. Suffering sometimes is a tool of God's discipline (Heb. 12:7-11).
6. Suffering draws individuals to God, compelling them to repent of their sins (Ps. 25:16-18).
7. Suffering keeps you humble and dependent on Christ (2 Cor. 12:7-10).
8. Suffering compels you to look up and long for your heavenly redemption (Ps. 121; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17).
9. Suffering joins people closer to Christ and his sufferings, especially in persecution (Luke 9:23; Phil. 3:10; 1 Pet. 4:1-2, 12-16, 19; 5:8-10).
10. Even in the midst of suffering, God is aiming for your ultimate good (Gen. 50:20; Jer. 29:11-13; Rom. 8:28).
11. Especially in the midst of suffering, God wants us to experience his amazing love (Ps. 90:14-15; Lam. 3:19-23).
Here is a powerful quote from an amazing woman who has had her share of suffering. Her name is Joni Eareckson Tada and she is quadriplegic. "Affliction is the gristmill where pride is reduced to powder, leaving our souls naked, bare, and bonded to Christ. And it feels beautiful" (Tada & Estes, 1997, p. 143).
And from a very inspiring book, Shattered Dreams: God's Unexpected Pathway to Joy, by Larry Crabb (2001), based on the story of Ruth from Naomi's perspective:
In fact, what He's doing while we suffer is leading us into the depths of our being, into the center of our soul where we feel our strongest passions. It's there that we discover our desire for God. We begin to feel a desire to know that not only survives all our pain, but actually thrives in it until that desire becomes more intense than our desire for all the good things we still want. Through the pain of shattered lower dreams, we wake up to the realization that we want an encounter with God more than we want the blessings of life. And that begins a revolution in our lives. (p. 4)
God will not violate your free will, so when you take the wrong path, you suffer. When you encounter evil or negligent people you may suffer. And you also may suffer due to accidents, natural causes, and illnesses. Such tragedies remind us that life is short and you must take what time you are given to get right with God and realize that the life you have and the days you are given are gifts. Beyond this, you must remember that all such unfortunate tragedies are under the sovereign, watchful eye of God, and He will always be with you to see you through. More than that, He will give you Himself.
So for the Christian, the concept and understanding of suffering fits very nicely into a worldview that provides meaning and purpose to humanity in the context of the love and power of God. When considering why we suffer it is critically important that we veer from the throne of our own opinions and take into account God’s perspective because in it we will find meaning, purpose, and be enabled to tap into our hidden, invisible potential to grow exponentially into the person of God’s molding, shaping, and design. Besides, in the final analysis, only God’s Perspective Matters...
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References
Crabb, L. (2001). Shattered dreams: God's unexpected pathway to joy. Colorado Springs, CO: WaterBrook Press.
Grand Canyon University (2017). Worldview implications. Phoenix, AZ. Retrieved from https://lms-ugrad.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.lc?operation=loggedIn&token=y1ooZiyh4uu2Yxb9aTWb5PtkbSlZ6YX2npy2XLW%2faqKBLw1Ap2asqjMKdWtGuiLU&classId=2228587#/learningPlatform/class/syllabus.lc?operation=getClassOutlineIUView&classId=5205f13f-ed1b-4b47-911d-4f0943da9153&c=prepareClassOutlineForm&t=coursesMenuOption&tempDate=1559937848464
Tada, J. E., & Estes, S. (1997). When God weeps: Why our sufferings matter to the Almighty. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
