This is the hardest topic for Godsiders. When a non-believer asks a Bible believer for an answer to it, that believer is in a tough spot. Maybe there is no real answer. Many of us have heard many nice folks try to answer it, and we were a bit let down. Even if Godsided Bible lovers try to solve this one, things can get bogged down and twisted and confused, and Godsiders may even let each other down on this one.
Believe it or not, we can make sense of it. First, know that pain and suffering hits us all, Godsided or not. Here are the highlights of the answer we give here: (a) It’s not punishment, (b) It can be a test, (c) It’s not the way God designed it, and (d) God can see something good come out of it. Here we go with the details.
(a) It’s not punishment. We are living in a block of time called the Church Age, and Age of Grace. All that means is, our time is not the time for God’s judging nor his justice. Jesus, the Godman, said that he was not here to judge, but to live a life that followed every old law God ever made. So God himself lived like us, and felt how we suffer in a human body, and took the punishment for us. Now we don’t have to live that perfect life. Lucky for us. The judging and the justice will come later, when he comes back. Be confident that all the humans living today have known zero of God’s punishment or anger.
(b) It can be a test. For a Godsider, pain and suffering is like pruning of bad branches from a growing vine. The Godsider’s life on this planet is a journey in the direction of God. God doesn’t put rules on us like “dress this way”, or “talk this way”, or do something because other humans do it. God will simply remove obstacles in you, or in your life, between him and you. It’s a long, slow, usually painful process, but it gives the Godsider power to make God smile more and more.
Sometimes the suffering is too much for the body, and the soul is freed from this world. That may feel like punishment for that person’s loved ones, but it isn’t. Not in our time. The better word for it is “test”. For those left behind, it’s another form of pruning. For them, a pain may never leave, but strength and hope and more power to make God smile will always grow back. Especially for Godsiders.
For those who are worried that a loved one died and was not on God’s side, I would say don’t worry. Nobody can know if a person is going to hell. With his very last breath or heartbeat, if a person chooses the simple belief, that the Godman died and lived again, then that person is Godside and God will claim him.
(c) It’s not the way God designed it. Suffering is a side effect of living in this fallen world. Since before humans started writing down their history, this planet (and universe) has been managed by enemies of God and humans (aka demons). God’s version 1.0 of this world had no suffering, and no bloodshed, and not even death. But he wanted his favorite creation, humans, to not love him like robots. Those very early humans had to choose Godside every day, following one rule (don’t eat from that one tree). Unlucky for us, they failed, and that was the end of World 1.0.
We may be in version 3.0, or 4.0 of the world now. But remember, when Godman comes back, the world will be managed by him fully, and then his enemies, who manage it now, will be really fired. Then we’ll be back to no more suffering for everyone.
(d) God can see something good come out of it. A smart person once said “Man counts the seeds in an apple. God counts the apples in a seed.” So God can see every possible outcome of every possible event, as far into the future as he wants. Because he created this world, and made it so that any “event” that occurs exists by his rules. That doesn’t mean he causes every event himself (although he could), but he has power to see how changes in one history develop new histories. And he uses that power. The Bible says: Things his enemies meant for evil, he meant for good. That includes pain and suffering.
So we can’t know how many lives are touched and influenced by pain and suffering, whether it’s our own or someone we know. But God knows. And he cares about everyone. And he always has more good things on the way for Godsiders. When suffering comes, being Godside will always be better.
Dig Deeper: I tried to keep this short but it’s just too huge a subject. If you have more questions, here are 3 great discussions by John Lennox: Making Sense Of Suffering…, Why Does God Allow Suffering…, and his Honest Response…
