Why Does God Allow Painful Things?

I recently wrote about God’s wrath (in the context of justice) and was asked to do a follow-up article that discusses God’s sovereignty and purpose for difficult things happening to righteous people. Or in other, more familiar words, why does God let bad things happen?

How could a loving God allow babies to die before they are born? Or watch as a husband walks out on his wife?

How could a loving God do nothing while people die and suffer sicknesses He could prevent? Or let a lonely soul jump off a bridge?

How is that love?

I think sometimes we want someone to blame. It’s an innocent desire, right? Life hurts and we are always looking to someone to “make it better.” If they don’t come through, we blame them for the tears. But something we all must one day learn to accept is that sometimes the answers are not as easy (or comfortable) as we would like them to be. 

Why Does God Let People Suffer?

Most of us have heard the words “God doesn’t make things happen; He allows them to happen.” And that is true to an extent. But why does God allow it?

In John 9 Jesus heals a blind man. Most of us know the story. It made us giggle, as little kids, to think of Him spitting on the ground to make mud and then rubbing it in the man’s eyes.

But I want to point out the verses right before the “major” part of the story takes place.

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘³Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”—John 9:1-3

The disciples, curious to hear their Master’s response, question the reason behind the man’s handicap. Jesus responds and says this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Do you think that man found it enjoyable to live his whole life blind? To live as a beggar on the streets and be known as dirty and shameful because of something he couldn’t even control?

Not in the slightest.

See, God doesn’t focus on the struggle…He focuses on the impact.

This man that had missed out on so many opportunities and friends was given a gift greater than anything we could imagine. He was touched and healed by the Son of God.

His life was changed by that one little moment.

Sometimes it takes years of suffering for us to see the lessons each trial is meant to teach us.

Why Does God Let People Die?

Our perspective on death changes as our perspective on life changes. This earth was never meant to be our home. We cry when someone we love dies because we don’t want to lose them; we don’t want to say goodbye.

But if we think about it, Yahweh is the One that allows us to spend the little time we already have with our loved ones. He is the Creator of life itself. Without His compassion for our lonely, eager souls we wouldn’t know how to love in the first place.

So why does He take them away?

Wrong question.

For believers, God doesn’t take them away—He takes them to the place we were always meant to be. He brings them home. The reason it hurts so much is because, in that process, He’s telling us to stay.

But what about the nonbelievers?

Let me ask you something: if the world was suddenly dominated by Muslims would you appreciate being forced to follow their standards and religious choices?

My guess is no.

God loves us with a love we simply cannot understand. And, in that love, He gives us a choice. He doesn’t force us to believe in Him, like stringed puppets dancing on a stage. If we turn our backs to His love…we face the consequences.

Seems unfair?

Honestly, it’s as simple as choosing whether you will cheat on your next test. If you, do you are likely going to get caught and receive a consequence. But you were aware of the consequence before you made the choice, therefore it is a completely just response to the situation.

God loves us so much that He allows us to suffer.

I know that’s hard to hear, but don’t think it doesn’t hurt Him too. Real love hurts sometimes.

The Hope in Our Earthly Trials

James 1:2-4 offers us a wonderful reminder of the hope in the middle of our storms. It says, “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

God is using our trials to refine us.

My family has a sweet tradition to remind us of God’s beauty in the broken things. We take a clay pot and break it. Then we gather all the shards of clay and split them between the members of our family. On each of our broken pieces we write a word that represents a specific trial, one of our flaws, or an emotion we’ve been struggling with. When everyone is finished, we discuss them.

Seems rather pointless? Ahh, but that is not the end.

We proceed to take all the shards and glue them back together. The pot is now cracked and has gaping holes inching up the sides. It is ugly and broken. But then…we place a candle inside.

All the cracks and blemishes now have light seeping through. The shattered pieces that symbolize our human flaws and struggles are made beautiful in the radiant light of the candle. If the pot hadn’t first been broken, the light wouldn’t have been as brilliant. 

That is how our walk with God is. Sometimes, He has to break us so that His love can radiate in and through us. And that process can be very painful, but the end results are so very worth it.

The Love That is Beyond Our Understanding

Even with all of that in mind, it can be hard to understand why bad things happen. We must remember that our perspectives are tinted by a mindset that does not see things from a heavenly point of view.

In John 12 Jesus begins to prepare His disciples for His coming death. In verses 27 and 28 He says, “²⁷Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. ²⁸Father, glorify your name!”

Jesus suffered.

Imagine if He had turned down the mission. If He had decided it wasn’t worth it. He gave everything for us because of His love for us (1 John 4:9). Therefore, we need to be willing to give everything to Him because of our love for Him (1 John 4:19).

Love doesn’t always make sense and that’s okay. But we often base love on the world’s standards, when really God is love.

If we hold to these truths that a) God brings beauty to our pain and b) He remains all-knowing and is working in every situation…it won’t matter whether we understand His love. Because the only thing that matters, is learning to accept it.

The hardest part of recognizing God’s love is learning to have faith in it…even when it doesn’t make sense.