Recently, a faithful Gospel preacher and friend of mine passed from this life after an extensive bout with Lou Gehrig’s disease. This is a condition that affects mobility, speech and a number of other areas of the body.
I am sure his family asked the questions, and maybe you have, too, at some time in your life: “Why do God’s people suffer? Why do those that serve God faithfully still suffer the pains of this world? Why do bad things happen to good people?”
In Thomas Warren’s book, Have The Atheists Proved There Is No God?, he devotes an entire chapter to human suffering. In that chapter, he notes that human suffering is a necessary component in an environment used for soul-making.
God, in His creation of this world, established certain principles that must be there in order to allow for free will. If these principles were not in place, then either: (1) no one would believe or (2) everyone would believe in God as supreme and divine.
Allowing human suffering is one of those elements that are necessary for free will to exist. As in the case of Job, we see a man who suffered great personal hardship. We also see his faith challenged. Job is an example of human suffering. He is also an example of human triumph.
Some Causes of Suffering
Some suffering is a result of carelessness or indifference. The “I don’t really care” attitude can be seen with some in the church today. In a society that pays a great amount of attention to health and fitness, some just don’t care.
Some suffering results from ignorance. People just don’t realize the hazards of some practices. Sanitation and personal hygiene are concerns leading to life or death in some cases.
Personal evil is a type of suffering that affects not only oneself but also close friends and family. Drug and alcohol abuse are epidemics in this country. They lead to a large percentage of death, violence and accidents throughout the world.
Suffering from the sins of others, such as drunk driving or domestic abuse, are the kinds of sufferings when we might turn to God and ask, “Why?” The answer is not simple, but it is fair.
This world was created to be an environment for soul-making. That means God established certain variables. These variables are present so people must make a choice. Some choose to go the wrong way. As more and more of humanity choose the way of evil, they mold an attitude towards corruption (a biblical term often synonymous with sin). This corruption or sin leads to violence, which contributes to more human suffering.
Therefore, some suffering, as in the case of disease, is the result of sin in this world. Not all sin is committed by individuals, but certainly, the degeneration of mankind occurs to a point where disease now exists and can be passed on to other humans.
In this environment for soul-making, God has given us hope. However, that hope is not in this world. That hope is in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3). Sin, suffering and death are not eternal things. Some who have suffered on this earth for a long time now rest in the bosom of Abraham, waiting to see Jesus face-to-face.
