The problem of suffering is one of the most common objections to God, or more specifically, to a good and loving God. Oscar Wilde once said, "There is enough suffering in any lane in London to prove that a good God does not govern the world". Since God is apparently all-powerful, why isn't He preventing His created people from suffering? While this problem is often debated at the academic and philosophical level, for most people, it's a personal issue that is felt most strongly in the heart. The question inevitably arises when tragedy happens (and in life, they inevitably do) - cancer, a tsunami, school shootings, rape or child abuse, the loss of a loved one... Why does God let this happen?

In response to this problem, as Christians, it would do us good from the very start to recognise and admit that we don't know the answer. Or at least, there is no logical answer that we can grasp. But there are some things we do know about the character of God and what He has said that shed some light on this very dark issue. My hope is that after reading this brief article, you may see suffering in a slightly different light, and perhaps, just perhaps, even be able to thank God for it.

Not the original plan

The bible makes it very clear that God is love (1 John 4:8), and that He loves us (Romans 5:8). This fact should colour the way that we interpret anything in life. While God obviously allows suffering, it was never His intention from the beginning. In His love, the world God first created was perfect, and mankind never knew pain (Gen 1 & 2 - we knew nothing but goodness, really!). Suffering entered only after the fall, as a direct result of our disobedience (Adam represented all of mankind). Since then, things have been going downhill, but this is never what God intended. Suffering doesn't mean that God has stopped loving us.

All through the Old Testament, God continually beckoned His people to return to Him in love and obedience, so that they would not experience the suffering which always followed when they don't live God's intended way. God would refer to Himself, through His prophets, as the One who comforts His people (Isaiah 40:1, 49:13, 66:13 and lots more), always alert and attentive to the cries of His people (e.g. Exodus 3:7, when God used Moses to lead His people out of misery and slavery into the promised land). God even hinted in Isaiah 49-53 of the suffering servant who was to come, who through his suffering would pay the penalty for our sin (which is death - Romans 3:23), removing our suffering that was caused by sin in the first place!

When God suffered

And this suffering servant was Jesus, whom a songwriter accurately describes as "the expression of God's love". Through Jesus, God not only shared in our pain, but took on Himself the ultimate form of suffering. Physical suffering: a horrendous death on a cross, a brutal roman torture device; emotional suffering: rejection by all his followers and family, scorned by the people who a week earlier were shouting praises at him; and the possible worst of it all, spiritual suffering: God Himself turned His face away from Jesus as he died. As Dorothy Sayers said,

"For whatever reason God chose to make man as he is - limited and suffering and subject to sorrows and death - He had the honesty and courage to take His own medicine. Whatever game He is playing with His creation, He has kept His own rules and played fair. He can exact nothing from men that He has exacted from Himself."

Not the final plan

So why doesn't God stop all the suffering right now? The bible does not give us any answer. But it does say something that we must never forget - this is not how it's always going to be! God has promised countless times throughout the bible that He will not let suffering win at the end of the day. One day, God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and suffering will cease to exist (Rev 21). We know that this will happen, because in reality, God has already conquered sin and death (the roots/effects of suffering) when Jesus died and was raised back to life again! Victory has already been won, and we are simply waiting for Christ to return, and for God to fully re-establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Therefore we can count on the promise that one sure day, God will take away all suffering, for all those who trust and believe in Him.

Like I said before, the Christian mustn't only approach suffering in an academic and philosophical way - pain hurts deep down, and we shouldn't ignore it. On a personal level, here are some suggestions on how we can response to suffering in ourselves, and in others.

When we suffer

Sometimes, we know that the suffering we're going through is deserved. Through the natural consequences of our actions, God does discipline us, but only as a loving father disciplines his children. When this happens, we should confess our sins and learn from our mistakes. Often, however, the suffering we go through seems undeserved, even unjust. How do we respond then?

Over and over in the psalms, the psalmist is heard crying out to God in distress, understanding that true comfort can be found in Him alone. When we suffer, it is very natural to be angry and upset, but it should always lead us towards God, even if in questioning and confusion, not away from Him in bitterness. Cry to God as David did in Psalm 6:3, when he said, "My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long?" Psalm 13 is another expression of David's wrestling with suffering - vs 2 "How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart?" Yet notice how he ended in v5-6 "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me". David is not oblivious to his present suffering, yet he has not forgotten God's goodness to him in the past. If God was faithful and loving once, He would definitely be faithful and loving again. Our suffering should turn us to God in trusting dependence, not away from Him. Like gold that can only get refined in a fire, God allows us to enter the fires of life, in order to refine us, and make us like His son Jesus.

When we see others suffer

If someone close to you is suffering, it's easy to blame and be angry at God, but what that person really needs are your prayers, and for you to let God show His love through you. You don't need to provide reasons to why their suffering is happening - we don't have any. We know for a fact that God's love prevails, even (and sometimes especially) through suffering, so we should always reach out to those who are suffering with God's love. War, poverty and sickness - they are terribly sad examples of the suffering that goes on in the world, and we should only ever think about the afflicted people with compassion, just as Jesus did. Their suffering gives us a perfect opportunity to extend God's love in practical and spiritual ways. And it can involve something as simple as giving money to Christian aid in war/poverty/disease stricken countries, or by praying (never ever underestimate its power!). It is one of the greatest joys and privileges to share God's love with others.

And for this reason, we Christians can thank God for suffering, and even embrace it. Not because we enjoy pain, but because we realise that it was only through the years of tears and testing that we developed a deep love and trust in God, one that the storms of life will not shake but strengthen. When we suffer, we are reminded of the suffering servant, who took the punishment for the sins of the world, to redeem us and show us how deep God's love really is. Through others' suffering, God gives us a chance to follow in the footsteps of His son, in providing comfort and proclaiming to the world that God is still there and still loves unfailingly, even during war, poverty and sickness. And we cling on to the hope that one day, God will wipe every tear from our eyes, and tell us that He has restored everything again. We will enjoy and serve Him in love forever, in a place which will never know suffering.

Weeping may remain for a night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning
Psalm 30:5b

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Good books to read:
Where is God when it hurts - Philip Yancey
The problem of pain - CS Lewis
The book of Job

A helpful article by Cornerstone Church, UK: Why doesn't God stop suffering?