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WHY DOES GOD ALLOW SUFFERING?
One of the most common reasons stated for
people's lack of, or loss of, faith is suffering. Many wonder how a loving God
can allow such suffering as seen in our world. There are many views on why God
allows suffering, all of which cannot possibly be addressed on one sheet of
paper. However, we will explore the most common viewpoints.
God allows suffering so that we
may be strengthened from it.
Suffering can produce perseverance;
perseverance, character; and character, hope. Our suffering should bring
us closer and more dependent on God, not turn us away from Him. The
apostle Peter wrote "And the God of all grace, who called you to his
eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will
himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast" (1 Peter
5:10 NIV). The apostle Paul tells us that trouble is only temporary, but
the lessons it teaches are permanent. He wrote: "For our light and
momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far
outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what
is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal"
(2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NIV). James, a brother of Jesus Christ, wrote,
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many
kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance "James 1:2-3 NIV). One can see by these examples that, when
approached from this point of view, personal growth can certainly result
from suffering.
Suffering occurs as a result of
God granting us the gift of personal freedom of choice.
God created us with the ability to
love and follow Him or to reject and turn from Him. We often choose to
sin, and sometimes that sin brings suffering upon us or others. Many
times suffering stems from people hurting other people--something Jesus
clearly taught us not to do. When asked which of the commandments is
most important, Jesus replied "Love the Lord your God with all your
heart and with all your strength'. The second is this: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these".
(Mark 12:30-31 NIV). God could stop us from harming each other, but He
would have to limit or take away our freedom of choice. From this point
of view, one can see that it is humanity who is to blame for much of the
suffering we experience.
Suffering is simply a part of
life.
In her book Shaking a Fist at God,
author K. Dell suggests that questions regarding why God allows
suffering "stem from a misunderstanding of religion" (Dell, 1995). Faith
in God does not guarantee personal prosperity, and lack of faith does
not guarantee troubles. Faith based on rewards or prosperity is hollow.
Life is not given merely for happiness and personal fulfillment, but for
us to serve and honor God. Author Elisabeth Elliot states "Our
circumstances are not the window through which we understand His love,
but rather we must view our circumstances through His love" (Elliot,
1990). Jesus Himself told His disciples "In this world you will have
trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 19:33 NIV).
In conclusion, sometimes we cannot, in our
limited understanding, see why we are allowed to suffer. We must remember that
God understands our suffering and can relate to it, because His son Jesus
suffered more than any of us probably ever will. He is waiting to comfort those
who are suffering, if they would only turn to Him.
To learn how to turn to Christ and how to know for sure that you'll go to
heaven, please see
How can I know for sure that
I will spend eternity in heaven.
FOR FURTHER READING ON THIS SUBJECT:
Dobson, Dr. J., When God Doesn't Make Sense, Tyndale
House Publishers, Wheaton, IL, 1993.
Graham, B., Till Armageddon: A Perspective on Suffering,
Word Books Publisher, Waco Texas, 1981.
Swindoll, C., For Those Who Hurt, Zondervan Publishing
House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1977.
RESOURCES:
Dell, K., Shaking a Fist at God, Triumph Books,
Ligouri, MI, 1995, pp.6.
Elliot, E., A Path Through Suffering, Servant
Publications, Ann Arbor, MI, 1990, pp. 126.
New International Version Study Bible, Zondervan
Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1995.
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