why does god allow suffering

Why Does God Allow Suffering?
By Patricia Ang

Why must we go through disappointment, sorrow, suffering, heartbreak, temptation, trials & tribulations? If your life were perfect, would you remember God? If you were healthy, would you thank God for his blessings? It is when we are suffering, when we encounter problems, when our health gives us problems, do we remember and turn to God.

Do you believe that God has a plan and purpose for each of us? The very thing that you want least to talk about, the very thing that you want to keep in your closest is the very thing God wants you to share. God wants you to yield to Him and allow Him to recycle the pain in your life for the benefit of others.

Often our sufferings are not about us but about people seeing the power of God working through our weakness. In the bible, the story of Jonah was faced in a helpless situation, yet God used him to lead a pagan nation to repentance.

“My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak. I am most happy then to be proud of my weakness, in order to feel the protection of Christ’s power over me,” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Many of us have this misconception that God uses only the really talented and gifted people. On the contrary, God uses ordinary people. He does his best work through the weak people. When we share our weakness, others are able to relate to what we are going through. So why Does God allow suffering?

God has given us a Free Will
In the book of Genesis it is written that God created man in his own image. Hence we are given the freedom to choose. We have a choice of right or wrong, good or bad, life or death. You can’t really choose good unless you have the option to choose bad. You can’t really love someone unless you have the opportunity not love that someone. Yes there are times when the poor choices that we make bring about poor consequences. God gives free will to all of us and there is a possibility when others choose to do wrong, one of us may be hurt as an innocent victim. We may make choices that bring pain to ourselves and others. God wants us to love HIM voluntarily. He does not want a bunch of puppets. God gives us the free will to follow him or to turn away from HIM.

God uses Pain to Get Our Attention
Our anxieties and our fears are warning signals telling us that something is wrong and we need to deal with it. At times it is meant to be a wake up call for us. When we are working too hard, we do not take care of our health, and we fall sick. We could be stricken by the flu bug, fever, gastric, it could be a sign to take care of our health, and to pray and spend time with God. Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. There are some of us who are so used to doing things our way but you realise that we are either unhappy at our jobs or are in stagnant relationships which drains off our energy. It is such moments, we seek god and pray for strength and discernment for his plans for us.

God uses pain to teach us to depend on HIM
For the past month I fell sick twice. The first time I had fever, the second time I was down with flu. As it is, whenever I fall sick, I take a long time to recover, and I am easily tired. To worsen such situation, there are so many things to do at work, datelines to meet and the people around me don’t seem to emphatize my situation. At times what you really need is assurance, affirmation and a listening ear. Yet during this period, I learnt to depend on God to heal me and to handle the issues I face daily. It has indeed been a humbling experience. When all is falling apart and you have lost it all, you will realise, God is there for you. HE is the only real problem solver.


God allows pain to give us a ministry to others
Pain makes us humble, sympathetic and sensitive to others’ needs. It prepares you to serve. When we turn to God to heal us from the pain we are going through, He comforts us and wraps his loving arms around us and gives us the help we need. All of us have our hurts, hang-ups and habits. When we are hurting, we want someone who understands who has been going through what we are going through, not someone who has a perfect life.

No matter what others have done to you, God can recycle it and use it for good. God never wastes a hurt. Unless you learn from the hurt and share it, you will waste it. Others will be blessed and encouraged if you share the problems and strengths you have gone through. God can and will use your pain to help others, if you let Him.

God alone is our “rock of refuge, a fortress of defence” (Psalm 31:2). HE is our reliable source of strength and protection.