Given the position I am in I get asked a lot of questions. From time to time I may post a question along with my answer here on the Tipping Sacred Cow. If you happen to be someone who has asked a question in the past, don’t worry I will not post it unless I have received your permission. Be warned I probably will not seek your permission if you have posted my answer on the wall of your Facebook page. At that point I am assuming permission is implied. 🙂
Today’s question came in on my Facebook account. The question involves a scenario I am sure many of you are familiar with. An unbelieving friend asks you, “If God is so loving why does he allow evil and suffering in the world?” So what do you tell your friend? Is there any answer which is biblical and will not sound hollow? I should hope so. You will see my response below. I am leaving the original question out of the post in order to protect people’s privacy. I simply cut and paste my response from my Facebook account, so please do not hold any grammar and spelling mistakes against me.
The Bible reveals to us that God by His very nature is gracious, merciful, good, kind, and loving. However, most people have difficulty harmonizing these attributes with the ever present reality of evil, pain, and suffering in the world. The question your friend asked is not an uncommon one. In fact it is probably the number one question that people ask Christians. It comes in many different forms and contexts, but ultimately it could be summed up in “Why does God allow evil and suffering to exist?” There are several ways one could go about answering this. I will see if I can give you an answer which might bring clarity.
The first thing to keep in mind is that the Bible is relatively mute on the topic of the origins of sin and evil (other than to explain how it first entered man). The reason why I bring this up is because death, pain and suffering originate from sin (Rom 5:12). In other words all the suffering we see and experience in the world is a direct result of sin. I am not saying that every time we personally experience pain and suffering it is because of some particular sin we committed. What I am saying is suffering and death were birthed the moment man sinned, and continues to exist because sin remains.
I guess this naturally leads to the question “Why does God allow suffering to continue?” When people ask this question I usually ask them “What would you propose God should do?” Their reply is almost always “He should put a stop to all evil and suffering.” This may sound odd, but I typically tell them that we are very lucky that He doesn’t do that. For God to put a stop to ALL evil and suffering He would have to put a stop to every act and/or every individual that causes suffering. This list of people whom God would have to stop would include all liars, thieves, murders, adulterers, back biters, slanderers, abusers, etc. Even thought the ramifications might be “different”, the list would also have to include everyone who has acted selfishly and hurt anyone’s feelings. The list, although not conclusive, is pretty big. It gets even bigger when you realize that in God’s economy you are just as guilty when you conceive such things in your heart (Matt 5:27-28). In fact, I am sure that by my own actions (or inaction) I have caused some of the suffering that exists in the world. This means that God would have to put a stop to me too, and I am sure I am not alone here. The necessity of God having to put a stop to me in order to end all suffering is quite sobering.
What we come to discover is that in reality it is an act of mercy that God hasn’t done away with evil and suffering. I understand this doesn’t make sense, but please stick with me and let me explain. God takes no joy in pain, suffering, and death. In fact there will be a day when He gloriously abolishes all three. However, until that day He patiently tolerates our sin and the suffering we cause so that He might sovereignly save us by His grace. In other words His mercy and patience in the face of our sin gives us the time we need to change and repent. He is simply waiting for the fullness of time so that He might save all those whom He foreknew. Is He capable of bringing the “hammer” down upon evil, pain, and suffering and immediately destroying them for all time? The answer is a resounding yes. However, He is too loving of a God to do that when those whom He loves will be destroyed as well.
This understanding has helped me to harmonize how a loving God can allow pain and suffering to exist. However, I am also fully aware that my answer falls short and will fail to satisfy those who are intimately dealing with pain an suffering. What do you tell an individual who is personally, or in relationship with someone, suffering or in pain? What helps me in such occasions is the understanding that this present life isn’t all there is. The Bible shows us that our lives are indeed but a vapor (James 4:14, Job 7:7, Psalm 78:39), here today and gone tomorrow. However, it also shows us that when this life concludes another one begins (Matt 25:46, John 11:25-26, 1Cor 15:20-22, 1Cor 6:14). Sometimes the immediacy of the pain and suffering overshadows the truth of the fact that suffering is temporal, and is not worthy to be compared to the wonderful things God has in store for us (Rom 8:18).
You have to keep in mind there are also aspects of suffering we will never understand this side of eternity. God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Since we are not eternal, infinite, omniscient, and omnipresent there will be many aspects of God’s plans we will not be able to wrap our minds around. Yes, sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving of them. But God allows things to happen for His reasons, whether or not we understand them. Above all, and even in the midst of suffering, we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God’s goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. Could God prevent all suffering? Of course. But He assures us that even in suffering “all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose” Rom 8:28.