Why Does God Allow Suffering?

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son …." Romans 8:29 (NIV)

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Have you ever asked the question, or been asked by another, "If God is a God of love, and if He loves us so much, why does He allow us to suffer? Why does He allow tragedies, disease, poverty and hunger? Why does He allow bad people to run around doing bad things to good people?

Well, I think Rick Warren (the author of "The Purpose-Driven Life") does a very good job in answering that question. In response to those kinds of questions he asks a question in return, "Did Jesus suffer? Was Jesus sometimes lonely? Was he tempted to be discouraged? Was he misunderstood, maligned, and criticized unjustly?"

As you read through the Gospels, you’ll quickly see that the answer to all these questions is: YES! Jesus suffered in every way we could possibly imagine, and more! So, what makes any of us think we’ll be exempted from suffering or loneliness or discouragement or unjust criticism?

The truth is, God is developing within each of us the character of Christ, and in order to do this, He must take you through all of the circumstances in life that He took His own Son through. This means God is more interested in your character than your comfort, and He’s more concerned about your holiness than your happiness. So, the question is not "if" you’ll go through dark times in life, rather it’s "when" you’ll go through them.

The Bible says in Romans 8:28, "We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

Does that mean that God causes tragedies, disease and suffering? No! Absolutely not! God is good, and He cannot and will not cause evil, nor do anything that is evil. But God can use these dark and stressful times for good; and he’ll use them to build a Christlike character within us.

So, what should you do when you are going through difficult times in life? Let's take a look at Psalm 23 to see what King David did in the face of trouble.

1. Don't allow discouragement to overcome you. David said, “I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4 NIV). It appears to me, by those words, that David made a choice not to fear evil. Similarly, as Jesus approached the cross, he chose to submit to God’s plan, and not seek his own; he made a choice to not back down from fear; he made a choice to trust God rather than give in to despair.

2. Remember that God is ALWAYS with you – David said, “For you are with me” (Psalm 23:4 NIV). God not only promises his power, he promises his presence. We will never go through a dark day alone. Jesus knew he wasn’t alone as he walked out his passion. Jesus also tells us in Matthew 28:20, "Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Jesus promises to be with us, and to help us in every circumstance of life.

3. And finally, We must learn to Rely on God’s protection and direction – David said to God in Psalm 23:4, "Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." The rod and staff were basic tools a shepherd used to protect and guide the sheep. God will be with you, and He will protect and guide you. Jesus could have called down 10,000 angels; he could have called his disciples to arms; instead he relied on God to protect and guide him.

The Bible also says in Romans 8:29, "For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son." If God the Father allowed His own Son, Jesus, to go through all the difficulties of his life, and He wants us to become more like Jesus, "conformed to the likeness of His Son," then what in the world would make us think that we are exempt from going through the same process.

God loves us passionately, just the same as He loves His own Son. Therefore, when we are going though difficult times and suffering in this life, trust and know with confidence that "God is at work in you to will and to act according to His good purpose" (Philippians 2:13). He didn't cause the bad things in this world, they are a result of a fallen world that we have all contributed to by our own sin, but He can take those bad things and begin to build the character of Jesus in us.

We just need to not let discouragement defeat us, know that God is always with us, and rely on His protection and guidance all the way. God is good all the time. Trust Him and He will be with you and guide you in ALL circumstances.