About

Why Is There Suffering?
Part One: Natural Suffering
By Charlie Harper-Charlie is a professional counselor who works with young people who are involved in the juvenile justice system as part of the staff of Jackson Youth for Christ in Jackson, MS.

GOD IS IN CONTROL. (Jeremiah 29:11 ) There are stories of tornadoes that touch down, rip apart one house, skip the next, and then touch down again. In the wake of the tornado many wonder if it struck certain houses on purpose. People ask, "Why did this happen?" This is so is one of the most difficult things to understand. "Innocent" people, and "good" people suffer just as much and sometimes more than "bad" people. We shake our fists at God crying out "Why me?" or "What did I do to deserve this?" Fortunately, those of us who know God, know that no matter what happens in our lives, he is in control. We can gain hope from knowing that. That raises an important question: If God is in control, why does all this stuff happen? That is a question we may not completely understand, until we chat over a coke with Jesus in heaven. In the meantime, we can look at God's word and see what he says about it.
TWO TYPES OF SUFFERING. The Bible identifies two types of suffering: Suffering that comes from natural occurrences, and suffering that comes from purposeful occurrences. Natural suffering is pain caused by the natural course of events. Purposeful suffering happens when someone does something wrong that hurts you or a loved one. For now, let's focus on natural suffering.
While I was writing this article, a friend of mine, Mickey, died from conditions related to Cystic Fibrosis. CF makes breathing a labored activity, not something you do unconsciously. You have to go to the hospital frequently to keep your lungs cleaned out, so that your body can get enough oxygen. Most people with CF do not see their 30th birthday. It's hereditary, and someone born with CF must spend their whole life suffering with this illness. My friend Mickey was nineteen when he passed away. Mickey had an incredible faith in God because he knew that he could not put off "getting straight with God," and because God made it possible for him to endure his day to day struggles. I tell you Mickey's story because this is a perfect example of what I call natural suffering. No one wanted to hurt Mickey. He was born with this condition and suffered with it his whole life.
REBELLION, SEPARATION-SUFFERING. (Genesis 3:17-19, Romans 5:12 ) So, that brings us back to the question of why. Why are such things as disease, death, and natural disasters like tornadoes part of our everyday life? First of all God did not create the world with suffering in it. His creation was perfect. In Genesis, each day of creation is described as being good. When God created Adam and Eve, he created them perfect, but with the ability to choose between good and evil. Given the chance, Adam and Eve chose evil. They disobeyed God's directions and ate from the tree in the Garden of Eden that God had forbidden. The consequences reach all the way down to you and me. With their rebellion, suffering entered the world. Their choice did not affect just themselves. It separated them from God. It separated them from each other, and it separated them from the world. After that, the world was tainted. Adam had to work to make the land produce food, and Eve was promised pain in childbirth. Natural death, disease, and suffering became a part of life. Now, our bodies break down. We have conditions like CF and cancer. Through Adam and Eve’s choice, death entered the world. Natural suffering is therefore part of a fallen world, and that fallen world will not be completely restored until Jesus comes again.
JOB’s EXAMPLE. (Job 1:18-22 ) It is impossible to look at why there is suffering without talking about Job. Job was a man considered to be righteous by God. However, Satan claimed that he was only righteous because he was so prosperous. So, God allowed Satan to take away everything from Job.
While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.
Job's family was struck by natural disaster despite his loyalty to God. Notice it says that Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. We cannot manipulate God into giving us everything by doing good and we cannot keep bad things from happening to us by doing what God wants either. What we can do is honor God as the source and the one in control of everything that happens in our lives. Job did not know why he had to lose everything he owned, but he did not blame God for allowing it to happen. He trusted that God was in control and knew what he was doing. Even his friends told him to curse God and die. We cannot always know why God allows certain bad things to happen to us, and we do not often see the good that has come from it until we are beyond it. Job's story does not end with him destitute and broken. God took what happened and, in the end, gave Job more than he started with because he was faithful.
FOUR LESSONS. We can look at the suffering Job went through and find several reasons for the suffering God had in mind that Job knew nothing about, and we can take those reasons and apply them to our own lives and understand why things are happening with us the way they are.
1. God Has a plan to restore all the damage. (Genesis 3, John 3:16 ) God allows bad things to happen. That does not mean he caused them. As I mentioned earlier, God created Adam and Eve without sin, but with the capacity to mess up, which they did. However, as soon as they did, God had a plan to restore all the damage.
2. God tests our faith. (Psalm 17:2, Psalm 26:2, Psalm 139:23, Jeremiah 9:7 ) God knew that Job would not reject him no matter what happened. Satan clearly thought that when the comforts of life were taken away, Job would reject God.
3. God takes what seems like the worst possible thing and uses it for good. (Romans 8:28 ) In the end Job was restored, and more wealthy than when all the torment started. What Satan intended for evil God used to bless Job. We often lose sight of the blessings that lay ahead when we are suffering in the present.
4. God does not allow us to be overcome by temptation or suffering. (Isaiah 43:2, 1 Corinthians 10:13 ) No matter what Job went through, God knew exactly how much Job could handle. He also knows how much each one of can handle. In his scripture, he clearly promises that we will not be overcome by the hardships of life. If we give in to temptation and suffering, it is because we did not choose the way out God provided for us.
LIVING IN TRUST. (James 1:2, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:41, Romans 5:3 ) So how do we apply this to our own lives, and explain to our friends who ask us such a difficult question? When we face trials and suffering we have to keep in mind that God is in control. This does not fix things, and it does not reduce suffering. I would not walk up to Mickey's parents at his funeral and tell them that everything is O.K. because this is God's will. Every thing is not OK. We can receive comfort, though, in the knowledge that God has promised us no matter how bad it gets, we will not be overcome. Our relationship with God has to be one that is constant and growing because our faith will be tested by life's trials. In other words, the only way to handle suffering when it occurs is to run to the loving arms of our heavenly father. Trusting God with times of suffering is a matter courageous faith because it is easy to blame God and become angry. The fact remains, God will one day remove all pain and suffering from our lives, but in the meantime he uses it to make us more and more like him.
One final thing we should consider regarding suffering in our lives. It is proof that God is working and that is a cause of celebration! I don't mean going through life with the idea that life is great because you just lost your best friend. I mean acknowledging that God uses suffering to make us more like him and we should look at suffering in our past as a reason to celebrate because God was active in our life. The alternative is true as well. If your life is too comfortable and safe and you are not being pushed in your walk, it may be because you are not growing spiritually. We should not be ashamed of our faith! We should be doing things that push us and make us grow, and rejoice that God has given us those opportunities.

What do you think? Post your response in the Tough Questions Talkback forum and see what others think as well.
Think about these questions:
Has there been a time in your life when you wondered where God was?
What are some practical ways you can lean on God when things get difficult?
Identify someone in you life that you can go to when things get to be too much to handle.