Responding to Hard Questions

    One of the most common questions that Christian Apologists get asked is “If God is loving and powerful, why does He allow pain?” Truthfully, this is a valid question that needs to be addressed when fighting for the belief in the existence of a loving and all-powerful God. This is a question that needs to be addressed when trying to reason why those that we love and share life experiences suffer and deal with unimaginable pain. This is a valid question for those who have suffered and have begun to think that “Life is Suffering” (Brooks, 2022).

    Initially, our human nature and our natural love for life would cause us to retort with the response, “Life is not suffering”, but the truth is everyone suffers. Everyone deals with pain and everyone is molded by the suffering that they endure. It is through the pain and suffering that we endure that we grow and learn. In the book The Allure of Gentleness, The author writes, “It is only in the heat of pain and suffering, both mental and physical, that real human character is forged” (Willard, 2015). Regardless of the level of pain and suffering that we encounter, whether it be cancer, starvation, homelessness, or heartbreak, we grow and develop through our response to our suffering. When we suffer, our brain activates the pleasure and pain receptors, and those signals will teach us to continue the action that caused the suffering or cancel the action that caused the suffering. Dr. Brooks explains it this way in an article for Psychology Today, “Suffering is not only functional, it serves the greater good! The roots of suffering are grounded in our evolutionary heritage. Suffering motivates us to move away from things that can cause us harm whereas pleasure and happiness help us move toward things that are good for us” (Brooks, 2022).

    Now that we have determined how pain and suffering benefit us in the long run, we need to determine how the Bible discusses pain and suffering.  In James 1:2-4, the author states, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV, Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Bonded Leather, Black, Red Letter, Thumb Indexed, 2019). While this verse largely understates human suffering to trials and tribulations, it is evident that the author of the letter of James knows that when we face difficulties in life we grow. In our difficult times, we could either grow to be bitter and resentful or we could use our difficulties to become better people or as the author of James calls it, “perseverance.” When we face pain and suffering head-on, we need to ensure that we do not lose our joy and become bitter and angry.

    The second verse that I believe helps guide our thinking is what the Bible says about our attitude while we endure suffering Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 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” (NIV, Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Bonded Leather, Black, Red Letter, Thumb Indexed, 2019). Regardless of our suffering, we can find peace in the suffering. According to this scripture, we have peace through Jesus and Jesus’ love for us. Our perseverance to find joy and hope in our suffering is further connected to God and it is through that love that we find peace in Christ.

    The next section of the valid question that we need to discuss is “Why would God allow suffering?” Many unbelievers wonder why God does not prevent pain and suffering if God is all-powerful and all-loving. Many would argue that since God does not prevent or stop the suffering that we endure then God does not love us as claimed. In the book The Allure of Gentleness, The author writes, “To hold that this second premise is true is to presuppose that God can only be good if he is a Jolly Good Fellow, running to satisfy our every whim and fancy and ease our every pain” (Willard, 2015). Even though God does not immediately eliminate our suffering this does not mean that we are not loved. It shows that God is focused on our overall character that will be created and developed through suffering. Since God is all-powerful and all-knowing, God sees the multitude of outcomes and possibilities that stem from our suffering. It is because God loves us that we are provided with support from our family, friends, and our church family amid our suffering. It is because of God’s love that we find hope and peace in our family as we heal. Dr. Brooks explains it this way in an article for Psychology Today, “Certainly, life can be beautiful, and we should practice gratitude for the many miracles and wonders that life has to offer. That said, another truth is that whether one is a pauper or a king, everyone suffers. Thus, we must learn to skillfully deal with the challenge of suffering, or it will undermine our ability to enjoy life” (Brooks, 2022).
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References
Willard, D. (2015). The allure of gentleness: defending the faith in the manner of Jesus. https://openlibrary.org/books/OL25774788M/The_allure_of_gentleness
NIV, Life Application Study Bible, Third Edition, Bonded Leather, Black, Red Letter, Thumb Indexed (Indexed, Thumbed). (2019). Zondervan.
Brooks, M. (2022, January 25). The Purpose and Problem of Suffering. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/202201/the-purpose-and-problem-suffering. Retrieved February 4, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/tech-happy-life/202201/the-purpose-and-problem-suffering