why does suffering exist?

Theologians and philosophers have come up with dozens of reasons for the existence of suffering, but today we’re going to look at three in particular, two of which come upon Christians by God’s direct actions (“God might cause me to suffer?” Yes; we’ll talk about that).

The greatest reason for the existence of suffering comes from the state of the universe we live in. The original beauty and goodness of the original creation has been marred by sin, and the by-product of this is suffering. Because of sin, because of rebellion against God, suffering has entered the universe. A lot of times when we suffer, there is no rhythm or rhyme to it except, “Such is life.” “Everything happens for a reason” is the oft-quoted (and unbiblical) concept that says all suffering happens for a reason. Under this mindset, we only suffer when we’ve done something horribly wrong. However, many times good people suffer just because they live in a fallen world.

Christians may experience suffering as a test (1 Pet 1.7). God will allow—or cause—suffering to come into our lives to test our commitment to Him. God did this with King Hezekiah. The big question of such testing is, “Is my faith genuine?” God already knows the answer; this testing lets us know whether or not our faith in God is genuine. How we respond to testing, how we bear through it, and how we relate to God during suffering reveals who we really are. Suffering teaches us about the nature of our being. It is easy to pledge allegiance to God in times of prosperity and abundance, but the true nature of our allegiance shines brightly when the prosperity and abundance are replaced with sorrow and grief. “How should we respond to this testing?” As 1 Pet 2.21 says, we are to model Christ who suffered and remained loyal to God even when it felt like God had abandoned him.

Christians may also suffer because God disciplines them (Heb 12.5-7). God disciplines His children, and so when God disciplines us, it shows that we really do belong to Him. If God does not discipline us when discipline is needed, then we are not really His children. “Why does God discipline us?” Heb 12.10-11 sheds some light on this subject. Divine discipline takes place when we refuse to submit to holy living. There are times when God urges us to change our lives through subtle, quiet, and soft means. However, when we continually refuse to change, He will ten use drastic, extreme measures to get our attention (discipline). While discipline is not at all enjoyable, if we heed the discipline and make the changes God demands, we will become better people.

For those suffering, the great question is, “Is there any hope?” It is easy, in suffering, to lose hope, to exclaim in tears, “I’ll never get out of this! This is all my life will ever add up to! There’s no chance of change!” Scripture plainly teaches, however, that if we stick to God in times of testing, if we repent of the sin for which we were disciplined, and if we stick to God when life sucks… He will repay us with a “double-recompense.” This means that He will restore to us the essence of that which was lost and then give us even more than we had before!

“What ought we do in times of suffering?” First, stick with God. Do not abandon Him even when it feels like He has abandoned you (for He has not). Second, keep hope alive. Do not submit to resignation. Shout, “This will change! I need to stick it out!” Trust God no matter what. Have faith that He knows what He is doing, that He has your best interests at heart, that He really loves you and likes you and cares for you… even when reality seems to say the opposite. Third, examine yourself. “What is this suffering teaching me?” What is the suffering teaching you about God? about others? about life? about yourself? Makes changes where changes are called-for. And finally, Stick with God and do not lose hope!

(my lesson yesterday)