The Purpose of Suffering
The question remains: “What about natural disasters, cancer, freak accidents, and genetic diseases? Surely, only God can be blamed for these things?” Once again, when sin was introduced into the world, the world ceased to function as God intended it (Genesis 3:18-19). For example, while God sometimes has used natural disasters to bring judgment, he is not necessarily directly responsible for them. Sin made the natural order chaotic. These disasters should show us that this world is no longer perfect, and that true happiness and freedom from suffering will not be found in this life.
However, not all suffering is evil. Suffering only occurs in an evil world, but it is not the evil itself. In truth, suffering helps us grow into the person God intended us to be. God reveals to us in His word that He uses suffering in our lives for spiritual growth. Suffering helps us grow spiritually if we allow it to teach us lessons about what is truly important in this life. The apostle Peter says that our “faith is tested by fire” (1 Peter 1:7). This imagery relates to the purification process of metals. Fire and heat extract all the impurities from the metal until it is shiny, clean, and pure. Our suffering may hurt while we go through it, but sometimes, if we look hard enough, we can see the eventual good that came from it.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 reads, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” If we are Christians, “our affliction” is only temporary, as we await a place which is “eternal in the heavens” (1 Cor. 5:1). Therefore, Christians can peacefully deal with the trials of this life and use them for spiritual growth, knowing that they have an eternal place in heaven reserved for them (1 Peter. 1:4).
Christ Defeated Evil through Suffering
The Bible gives us a rational and understandable explanation for why we suffer. However, when that suffering is knocking at the door, everything seems to change, whether it is hearing the news of a terminal illness diagnosis, sitting at the bedside of a dying parent, spouse, or child, losing our job, or simply the day-to-day disappointments of everyday life, we sometimes feel like God has forsaken the world and everyone who lives in it.
No religion deals with suffering like Christianity; the central image of the Bible is an innocent man - bruised, battered, hanging from a cross of wood, who at the end of His life uttered, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46) We can never say, “God does not know what I am going through!” because our God did come to earth, suffer, and die as a man. Why?
The Bible reads, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor. 5:21). Christ took the sins of the world on Himself, and satisfied both the Father’s love and justice so that we might once again have the opportunity to be righteous before God. However, if we are outside of Christ, our suffering is merely the consequence of sin, is meaningless, and will lead to nothing.
God calls us to suffer for a purpose, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” (1 Peter 2:21). Suffering in this life cannot be avoided, but it can be avoided in the next life.
