It’s interesting to consider that the most ancient book of the Bible is the book of Job. Scholars believe it was written shortly after the time period of Noah and the flood. This means the very first time God gave us Scriptural revelation, the theme He chose to teach on was suffering and pain. The questions, why is there so much suffering and, where is God in the suffering are among the oldest theological questions and remain relevant today.
As Christians, we know why there is suffering in this world—because Adam and Eve transgressed God’s commandments and brought sin into the world. The Bible says in Romans 5:12, “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (NLT). While this particular verse highlights the consequential suffering of death, all other forms of suffering are also a result of the Fall. At the Fall, the universe itself became broken.
Because the universe itself is broken, suffering affects all of us. Nobody is exempt. We need to have a biblical mindset about suffering so that when it visits us, we are able to endure it with Christlikeness.
Here are three main things to remember in times of suffering.
1. God is with us amid suffering.
The Bible says in Psalm 46:1 that “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble” (NLT). Notice that God is right by our side in the middle of the struggle. He will not leave us alone in it. As our Good Shepherd, He will guide us through it, so that we truly don’t have to be afraid. Knowing God is with us in the suffering allows us to face it with dignity and courage.
Yet the extent of God being with us in the suffering goes even further than this. God Himself entered into this fallen world in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus felt all the same sufferings we do. He experienced people slandering Him, denying Him, betraying Him…He experienced hunger, thirst, grief, and exhaustion…He experienced injustice, pain, agony, and death on the cross. Our Lord is not only with us in the suffering, but He understands our suffering. When we pray to Him about our pain, He relates to us on a personal level.
2. God builds us up through suffering.
The Bible says in Romans 5:3-4 that “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation” (NLT). God takes the suffering and uses it to strengthen our character. He makes us more like Jesus through the suffering. God doesn’t let the suffering be meaningless or purposeless, but like a refiner of silver, He uses the suffering to burn away the spiritual blemishes in our soul. There is a way in which suffering makes our souls more pure and holy. And Paul, therefore, goes so far as to say that he “rejoices” in suffering.
We all understand this on a certain level. When we go to the movies, or read a novel, we expect the main character to have a mountain to climb, an enemy to conquer, a quest to complete, an obstacle to overcome. We expect the main character will encounter difficulties. If they don’t, the movie is quite dull and lacking in character development. God is writing a good story for our lives, and therefore, He gives us obstacles to overcome to make us more complete, in our own character arc.
3. Suffering will be overcome.
The Bible is very clear that Jesus will return, and when He does, paradise will be restored. A day is coming when every tear will be wiped away from our faces. A day is coming when “death will be swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54 NLT). A day is coming when God will render perfect judgment and grant unto His people their inheritance in heaven.
We have this hope and certain knowledge rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we know that He will be ultimately victorious over all His foes. Because He lives, we know that suffering has an expiration date. Because He lives, we know that we will spend eternity in pure joy, peace, and rest in the Holy Spirit. Suffering does not get the final say, Jesus does, and His final say is life wins and paradise is back.
A Prayer for Pain and Suffering
Jesus, thank You for being with us in the suffering, thank You for using it to make us more like You, and thank You for Your promised return when all suffering will end. Help us to trust You when we feel pain. Help us to turn to You in the hard times. And lead us, oh Good Shepherd, into restoration, renewal, and perfect hope. In Your name, amen.
