On Suffering

If there is an all-powerful, all-loving God, then why do good people have to suffer?

I have grappled with this question all my life, and I have been a believer all my life. And I have known suffering. I have spent most of my life dealing with chronic illness, and chronic pain; and then I got cancer. During my (several years long) battle with cancer, things got so dark that I attempted suicide. I felt like I was being asked to suffer too much, and I buckled under the pressure.

In this article, I will explain how I came to realize that there *was* a purpose to all of my suffering, and that it will be 100% worth it in the end.

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When I came across this section of my Bible, I wanted to weep.

During the worst times, when I was in so much pain and only wanted to escape it, I found it so difficult to find hope. In fact, hope became a 4-letter word to me. Hope always seemed to turn into “false hope”, and to leave me even more depressed when it fizzled out. I would go to receive healing prayer, or to see a new specialist, and hope was my enemy. I would “get my hopes up”, and those hopes were soon dashed when I wasn’t healed.

Can anyone relate?

Here is this Bible verse describing how hope is formed in our psyche. Suffering leads to perseverance, which leads to character, which leads to hope. And what do we hope for? The Goodness of God. His healing, His mercy, His comfort. 

And then a promise from God: hope won’t abandon us because the Holy Spirit is within us always. 

Even if suffering in this mortal body leads to death, we still have hope in Christ Jesus, because he promised us a new body, and eternal life in heaven.

“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Isn’t this fabulous news?

I was excited when I read it, because this means that people who suffer like Christ suffered will have an easier time resisting the temptation to sin for the rest of their lives. What a blessing that is! 

It is easy to get caught up in the suffering we endure in these mortal bodies, but never forget that these bodies are temporary. Keep your eyes on eternity, not just this mortal life. If you feel like you are missing out on life because of your suffering, the happy news is this: you aren’t missing out on anything good. The “good life” is the *next life*, the one we live in God’s perfect Kingdom.

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good, and what you do is good; teach me your decrees. Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep your precepts with all my heart. Their hearts are callous and unfeeling, but I delight in your law. It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭67‬-‭71‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This bit of scripture has 100% come true in my life, so I know it can come true in the life of *any* believer. During the time I was suffering, I was sinning. Oh, I thought I was on the right path at the time. But I had hidden sins I wasn’t even seeing, and they were big ones. Pride. Rebellion. Jealousy. 

Toward the end of this period of suffering, I realized that those hidden sins were there, and started to work against them. And then the suffering ended.

“All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.”

‭‭Daniel‬ ‭9‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When I read this section of Daniel, it became clear to me that some of my suffering has been the result of my own wrongdoing. Certain sins come along with curses (see the book of Proverbs.) I was inflicting curses upon myself by sinning.

“See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭48‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This verse gave me a new sense of optimism about my future. If the purpose of my suffering was to purify me, then I came out the other side refined, purified by fire. And that is a good thing to be! 

Are you being purified by fire? Your suffering has a purpose! 

“For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭66‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ 

The bottom line

The enemy would love for you to believe that suffering is an indication that God has forsaken you. But I promise you: God has *not* forsaken you. He is working on you. He is using what you are going through to make you tougher, stronger, and more Christlike. He is preparing you to spend eternity in his golden city. Keep your eyes fixed on the goal and your feet firmly on the right path. You will make it.