How can Christians understand suffering?
It is one of the hardest questions people ask. Sometimes the question comes after a natural disaster, the death of a loved one, a broken relationship, or something terrible that happened to someone we know.
The Bible does not give us a simple explanation for every painful event. But it does give us some things to hold onto. Also, keep in mind that there may not be a deeper reason for why something happened. Terrible things happen in a broken world. But that doesn’t mean God wanted them to happen.
We live in a broken world
God created the world good. But sin entered the world, and human life has been affected ever since.
People hurt other people. Bodies become sick. Natural disasters happen. Death is part of life in this world.
Paul writes in Romans 8 that creation itself is suffering and waiting for renewal. That does not explain why one particular person became sick or why a tragedy happened. But it does remind us that suffering is part of a world that is different from the way God intended it to be.
Sometimes people cause suffering
Some suffering comes directly from human choices.
People abuse power. Someone drives recklessly. Someone decides to hurt another person.
God gave human beings the ability to make choices, and those choices can cause tremendous harm. That does not mean God wanted what happened.
If someone has hurt you, Christianity does not require you to pretend that it was acceptable. You may need help, boundaries, counseling, medical care, or the involvement of appropriate authorities.
Sometimes there is no easy explanation
Other suffering is harder to explain.
Why did this person get cancer? Why did that child die? Why did the storm destroy one home and leave another standing?
We simply do not know. That can be difficult because we want an answer that makes sense of what happened.
The Psalms are full of people asking God why something is happening, how long it will continue, or where God is in the middle of it.
Even when we don’t or can’t understand the “why” questions, we can trust that God is there with us through the suffering.
Jesus understands suffering
Jesus did not avoid suffering. He experienced rejection, grief, physical pain, betrayal, and death. He also wept when Lazarus died.
In Jesus, God entered human life and experienced suffering.
And before His own death, Jesus told His disciples:
“In this world you will have trouble. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” (John 16:33).
Jesus did not tell them that following Him would protect them from everything painful. He told them trouble would come. But He also told them that trouble would not have the final word.
Something painful is still painful. A terrible loss does not suddenly become wonderful because you learned something from it.
But God can still work within what happened. A difficulty may deepen your faith. Something you experience may make you more compassionate toward another person later. You may discover strength you did not know you had, grow closer to people who helped you, or come to depend on God differently than you did before.
Sometimes you will see those things later. But that doesn’t mean we will understand why it happened or that God wanted the suffering itself.
What can you do when you are suffering?
Start by being honest with God.
You can tell Him you are angry, afraid, confused, or having trouble trusting Him. That is still prayer.
The Psalms can help when you do not know what to say. You might read Psalm 13, Psalm 46, or Psalm 121 and use some of those words in your own prayer.
You may also need other people around you.
Talk with someone you trust. Let people bring food. Let someone sit with you. Ask people to pray for you. And get professional help when you need it.
Prayer and practical help can go together. You can pray and see a doctor. You can trust God and talk with a counselor.
You can also return to Scripture when you need help thinking through suffering, hope, and what faith looks like in a difficult season.
Suffering is not the end of the Christian story
Christian hope comes from Jesus.
Christians believe that death and suffering are not permanent. The resurrection of Jesus points toward a future resurrection and eternal life with Christ.
While that doesn’t take away today’s pain, it does mean that pain does not get the final word.
If you are suffering right now, you can ask for help. And you can keep coming back to God even when you do not understand.
Our focus can sometimes move from “Why did this happen?” to “What do I do now?” We can look toward our heavenly home and trust in God’s presence with us until that time.