Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil?

 Our world is an utter mess right now.  As I got up this morning and listened to the news, my heart sank as I heard more about the tragedy in Uvalde, TX and the remembrance of all the innocent lives lost. I hear about the suffering of brothers and sisters in Eastern Europe. So much pain. The events that Christ described in Matthew 24 as “the beginning of sorrows” have definitely begun to come to pass on a more frequent scale.   With all that is happening, many people are asking the question, "Why? Why did God allow this?"

These tragic events have just added to the everyday pain and suffering being experienced in individual lives. There's illness, abuse, broken relationships, betrayal, sorrow, injuries, disappointment, heartache, crime and death. And perhaps you've been asking the question too. "Why? Why me? Why now?"

That "why" question is not a new one; it goes back thousands of years. It was asked in the Old Testament by Job and the writers of the Psalms, and it was especially relevant during the 20th century, where we witnessed two World Wars, the Holocaust, genocides in the Soviet Union and China, devastating famines in Africa, the killing fields of Cambodia, the emergence of AIDS, the genocide in Rwanda and the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. And the 21st Century didn't start any better. There was 9/11, the tragedies in Sudan and Somalia,  and on and on. Why do all of these horrific things happen if there's a loving and powerful God? Why do bad things happen to good people?

Maybe you've never asked why our world is infected with pain and suffering, but my guess is you will when they strike you or a loved one with full force. And Jesus said they are coming. Unlike some other religious leaders who wrote off pain and suffering as mere illusions, Jesus was honest about the inevitability of suffering. 

In John 16:33 He said, 

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

He didn't say you might—he said it is going to happen.

It's important to grapple with the question of why God allows suffering in our lives. Even though we can't understand everything about it, I believe we can understand some things. 

We may not be able to make out all the details of why certain things happen, but there are some key biblical truths that can illuminate some points of light for us. And if we follow those lights, they will lead us toward some conclusions.

1. God in His sovereignty, permits the free will of man.  God did not bring evil into the world.  We did.

This answers the question you hear so often: "Why didn't God merely create a world where tragedy and suffering didn't exist?" The answer is: He did! 

Genesis 1:31 for example says,

31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

And we hear that account of “very good” throughout all of His creative acts.  The world was created absolutely perfect and without blemish.

So if evil and sin wasn’t present in the world, where did it come from? Well, God has existed from eternity past as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons together in a relationship of perfect love and holiness.  We are reminded in 1 John 4:16 that God is love.

16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

And when God decided to create human beings, he wanted us to experience love. But to give us the ability to love, God gave us free will to decide whether to love or not to love. Why? Because love always involves a choice.  Isn’t it more meaningful that way?  Would you rather be loved because someone chose to love you or because someone was forced to?  Many will argue that this viewpoint denigrates the idea of sovereign God, but I see it as enforcing the idea of a sovereign God even more.  God is God.  He could have chosen to create creatures who blindly followed Him and “loved” Him simply because they were programmed that way.  While we are created in His image, and we have the whole of creation that testifies of the glory and power of the Most High God, God in His sovereignty, allows us to make a choice when it comes to our relationship with Him.

A very popular doll amongst little ones is a doll with a string in the back, and when you pulled it the doll said, "I love you." Did that doll really love that kid? Of course not. It was programmed to say those words. Real love always involves a choice.

So in order for us to experience love, God bestowed on us free will. But unfortunately, we humans have abused our free will by rejecting God and walking away from him. And that has resulted in the introduction of evil into the world as stated in Genesis 3.

1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”

4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”

13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:

“Because you have done this,

You are cursed more than all cattle,

And more than every beast of the field;

On your belly you shall go,

And you shall eat dust

All the days of your life.

15 

And I will put enmity

Between you and the woman,

And between your seed and her Seed;

He shall bruise your head,

And you shall bruise His heel.”

16 To the woman He said:

“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;

In pain you shall bring forth children;

Your desire shall be for your husband,

And he shall rule over you.”

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:

“Cursed is the ground for your sake;

In toil you shall eat of it

All the days of your life.

18 

Both thorns and thistles it shall [f]bring forth for you,

And you shall eat the herb of the field.

19 

In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread

Till you return to the ground,

For out of it you were taken;

For dust you are,

And to dust you shall return.”

20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve,  because she was the mother of all living.

21 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Some people ask, "Couldn't God have foreseen all of this?" Yes, yes He did. 

Psalm 139:4 states, 

Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

But look at it this way. Many of you are parents. Even before you had children, couldn't you foresee that there was the very real possibility they may suffer disappointment or pain or heartache in life, or that they might even hurt you and walk away from you? Of course—but you still had kids. Why? Because you knew there was also the potential for tremendous joy and deep love and great meaning.

God knew we'd rebel against him, but he also knew many people would choose to follow him and have a relationship with him and spend eternity in heaven with him. And it was all worth it for that, even though it would cost His Son great pain and suffering to achieve our redemption. So as we ponder the mystery of pain and evil, we need to be mindful that it was and is our decision to sin against Him.

We are reminded in Romans 3:23 thall all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  

Psalm 51:5 says,

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

Mark 7:21-23 says,

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

2. Though suffering isn't good, God can use it to accomplish good.

In Romans 8:28 the Bible promises, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Notice the verse doesn't say God causes evil and suffering, just that He promises to cause good to emerge. And notice that the verse doesn't say we all will see immediately or even in this life how God has caused good to emerge from a bad circumstance. Remember, we only see things dimly in this world. And God doesn't make this promise to everyone. He makes the solemn pledge that he will take the bad circumstances that befall us and cause good to emerge if we're committed to following Him.

You might say, "No, He can't bring good out of my circumstance. The harm was too great, the damage was too extreme, the depth of my suffering has been too much."

But if you doubt God's promise, listen to what a wise man once said: "God took the very worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the universe—the death of God on the cross—and turned it into the very best thing that has happened in history of universe: the opening up of heaven to all who follow him." If God can take the very worst circumstance imaginable and turn it into the very best situation possible, can he not take the negative circumstances of your life and create something good from them?

3. The day is coming when suffering will cease and God will judge evil.

Many people wonder: "If God has the power to eradicate evil and suffering, then why doesn't He do it?"

But there's a flaw built into the question. Just because He hasn't done it yet doesn't mean He won't do it. 

The Bible says that the story of this world isn't over yet. It says the day will come when sickness and pain will be eradicated and people will be held accountable for the evil they've committed. Justice will be served in a perfect way. That day will come, but not yet. 

So what's holding God up? One answer is that He's actually delaying the consummation of history in anticipation that more people will put their trust in Him and spend eternity in heaven. He's delaying everything out of His love for humanity. Second Peter 3:9 reads: "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

To me, that's evidence of a loving God, that He would care that much for us.

4. Our suffering will pale in comparison to the good things God has in store for his followers.

In Romans 8:18 we read: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

Remember these words were written by the apostle Paul, who suffered through beatings and stonings and shipwrecks and imprisonments and rejection and hunger and thirst and homelessness—far more pain that most of us will ever have to endure.

I certainly don't want to minimize pain and suffering, but it helps if we take a long-term perspective. Think of it this way. Let's say that on the first day of 2021, you had an awful day. You had an emergency root canal at the dentist—and then ran out of pain-killers. You crashed your car, and had no insurance. Your stock portfolio took a nosedive. Your spouse got sick. A friend betrayed you. From start to finish, it was like the title of that children's book: Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

But then every other day of the year was just incredibly terrific. Your relationship with God is close and real and intimate. A friend wins the lottery and gives you $100 million. You get promoted at work to your dream job. Time magazine puts your photo on its cover as "The Person of the Year." You have your first child and he's healthy and strong. Your marriage is idyllic, your health is fabulous, and you have a six-month vacation in Tahiti.

Then next New Year's Day someone asks, "So, how was your 2022?" You'd probably say, "It was great; it was wonderful!" You'd remember that first bad day. You might think, that was a bad day, no denying it. It was difficult at the time. But when I look at the totality of the year, when I put everything in context, it's been a great year. The 364 terrific days far outweigh the one bad day. That day just sort of fades away."

And maybe that's a good analogy for heaven. Listen to me—that is not to deny the reality of your pain in this life. It might be terrible. It might be chronic. I understand daily problems and attacks from the enemy.  It seems that every day something new rises up and catches me. Maybe you're suffering from a physical ailment or heartache at this very moment. But in heaven, after just one day of pure bliss—and with an infinite more to come—if someone asked, "So, how has your existence been?", you'd instantly react by saying, "It has been absolutely wonderful! Words can't describe the joy and the delight and the fulfillment!"

It's like the story that British church leader Galvin Reid tells about meeting a young man who had fallen down a flight of stairs as a baby and shattered his back. He had been in and out of hospitals his whole life—and yet he made the astounding comment that he thinks God is fair. Reid asked him, "How old are you?" The boy said, "Seventeen." Reid asked, "How many years have you spent in hospitals?" The boy said, "Thirteen years." The pastor said with astonishment, "And you think that is fair?" And the boy replied: "Well, God has all eternity to make it up to me."

And He will. God promises a time when there will be no more crying, no more tears, no more pain and suffering, when we will be reunited with God in perfect harmony, forever (Revelation 21:4). Let the words of 1 Corinthians 2:9 soak into your soul: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

5. We decide whether to turn bitter or turn to God for peace and courage.

We've all seen examples of how the same suffering that causes one person to turn bitter, to reject God, to become hard and angry and sullen, can cause another person to turn to God, to become more gentle and more loving and more tender, willing to reach out to compassionately help other people who are in pain. Some who lose a child to a drunk driver turn inward in chronic rage and never-ending despair; another turns outward to help others by founding Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.

We make the choice to either run away from God or to run to Him. And what happens if we run to Him?

John 16:33 says,

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

In other words, He offers us the two very things we need when we're hurting: peace to deal with our present and courage to deal with our future. How? Because He has conquered the world! Through His own suffering and death, He has deprived this world of its ultimate power over you. Suffering doesn't have the last word anymore. Death doesn't have the last word anymore. God has the last word!

It was through that cross that Jesus conquered the world for us. As Lewis once said, "God's ultimate answer to suffering isn't an explanation; it's the incarnation." Suffering is a personal problem; it demands a personal response. And God isn't some distant, detached, and disinterested deity; He entered into our world and personally experienced our pain. Jesus is there in the lowest places of our lives. Are you broken? He was broken, like bread, for us. Are you despised? He was despised and rejected of men. Do you cry out that you can't take any more? He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Did someone betray you? He was sold out. Are your most tender relationships broken? He loved and he was rejected. Did people turn from you? They hid their faces from him as if he were a leper. Does He descend into all of our hells? Yes, he does. From the depths of a Nazi death camp, Corrie ten Boom wrote these words: "No matter how deep our darkness, he is deeper still." Every tear we shed becomes his tear.

God does much more than sympathize with you in your troubles. After all, any close friend can do that. Any close friend can sit beside you and comfort you and empathize with you. No, Jesus is much closer than your closest friend. If you've put your trust in Him, then He is in you. And, therefore, your sufferings are His sufferings; your sorrow is His sorrow.

So when tragedy strikes, as it will; when suffering comes, as it will; when you're wrestling with pain, as you will—and when you make the choice to run into His arms, here's what you're going to discover: you'll find peace to deal with the present, you'll find courage to deal with your future, and you'll find the incredible promise of eternal life in heaven.