How many of you have met people who say that they don't believe in God because a good God would not allow so much suffering to happen in this world?
I'm sure many of you have. I'm sure many of you have thought that or even think that today. I know I have.
Today, we're going to take a look at why God allows suffering to happen in this world.
The Wrong Question
As I was discussing about this topic with my husband, he made me realize a few things. First of these is that we are asking ourselves the wrong question.
Many of us ask ourselves the question:
"Why does God allow suffering?"
In a way, by asking this question, we subconsciously accuse God as though He was the creator of suffering by allowing it. You see there's a difference between creating something and allowing something to occur. For example, a parent can create/give birth to a child that will be terrible. Despite what the parent does, the child is just not kind. The parent isn't the one at fault. He is not the unkind one. But, he allows unkindness to exist by letting his child live. By granting his child free will. Well, the same thing goes for us!
It's simple. God created us, His children. His children behave badly and cause a lot of suffering in this world. Because God allows us to make our own choices either good or bad, suffering exists. So instead of asking why does God allow suffering, the question should be:
"Why does God allow free will?"
Which strikes more at the heart of the issue: suffering exists because of free will. Free will is the ability we have to make our own choices. God is the one who created us with the possibility of making choices. Including bad ones.
So why did God create us if He knew we'd have the possibility of making wrong choices?
Well, one can also ask the question "why do we make babies if there's always a chance that they might make bad choices?".
You see, the reason God allows free will is because God is not a tyrant. He wants us to choose the path we want to walk in, not force us. Whether it be in obedience to Him or not. Otherwise, He would have created us to be no different than machines, only following His orders. Instead, He gives us the freedom to choose.
One of these choices include the choice to obey Him or not. And this is when all suffering began. When we decided not to trust and obey God. First, through Satan, as we've seen in my previous post. Then, humanity.
What did they disobey Him in? His law. What did they distrust in? The goodness of His law. This is what we call sin, disobedience to God's law.
I want to make a small side note here about God's law. Many of us, especially of this generation, cringe when we hear about obeying anyone besides ourselves. We tend to dislike authority. Often, because we think that the people in authority are selfish and only want obedience for their own benefit. Or, we just want to do whatever we want. But God's government is different. The Bible tells us that "the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12). Unlike earthly governments that tend to be corrupt, God's government and His laws are good and just. They are for our own benefit and the benefit or those around us. God's law is the law of love.
God's law is the law of love.
But despite His law being good, we have chosen to disregard it and do our own thing. Our first parents, Adam and Eve didn't trust God's command was for their own good when He warned them not to eat of the fruit and they did it anyways which resulted in disharmony with God. Disharmony with Good. If people believed that God's commands were actually for their own good and trusted Him by listening to his counsels, humanity would be living in peace, harmony and joy right now.
But instead, humanity has been distrusting God for thousands of years, following their own ways and refusing to obey the One who cares most about their well-being. And what has this brought upon our world? A lot of suffering. People just did things that seemed right in their eyes but were actually harmful either to themselves or those around them, until we got to the point where men and women don't even know or care about who God is and what He says.
The Bible has such powerful proverbs on this aspect of humanity:
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12
Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts. Proverbs 21:2
We're always thinking that we know better than God Himself. When in fact God knows the beginning from the end, He even proves it to us through biblical prophecies. Also, God created the universe and us with His own hands and He knows us better than we know ourselves which means He knows what's best for us. He knows which choices lead to life and which choices lead to suffering. He tells us:
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We forget that we're just humans. Really, what do we know? Nonetheless, we continually choose to follow our own wisdom. It is not surprising that we are living in this world of suffering. Humanity is responsible for its own actions.
Gods's love
The reality is that once we distrusted in God's counsels and decided to follow our own way, God could have left us to suffer the consequences of our sins. Left us in our pursuit for money, in our gossiping, in our hurtful words towards one another, in our ungratefulness, our pride and our selfishness. He could have left us in a never ending cycle of suffering, pain and death forever. Those are the consequences of not listening to God. Not because God sends this as a punishment. But because suffering is what naturally comes when we go against God's law which is only peace, joy and life. That's how God's government works. Opposition to God leads to suffering and death. Opposition to God means opposite to Good which brings about evil. In heaven, nobody dies because nobody is opposed to God. And you know what? They are not miserable about it! They follow God's commands and His laws because they are good and are what brings joy and peace. As simple as that!
We're so brainwashed into thinking that following commands and laws is a bad thing when in reality everything works by law. Just think of nature: law of gravity, law of cause and effect, etc. Just think of going against the law of gravity for a second. Imagine deciding that you're going to jump off a cliff because you don't believe in the law of gravity or you just don't think it's really going to work. Well, I can assure you you will end up dead or pretty bruised up. Same thing with God's law. Going against it naturally leads to bad things and ultimately our death but while God could have left us to pay for the consequences of our acts as when you jump off a cliff, He didn't.
Why?
Because God loves us.
We left God but God didn't leave us.
In fact, God loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [or trusts] in Him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16.
In His mercy, God sent His Son to pay for our sins through His death. Why death? Because the cost of sin is death. And only someone innocent can pay the price for us, only God Himself, incarnated in flesh, was able to die for us. Someone needed to pay for the crime of going against His law and He was a perfect replacement for us. He was human but also divine. The Creator payed the price for the created. It is as though you had invented a robot with its own mind and this robot destroyed a whole city. Now this robot needs to go to jail for what it's done. The only person who can take responsibility in his place is his creator. It's not the creators fault the robot did those terrible things but he can take the blame because he is the creator. Same thing with God. He wasn't responsible for our actions, He created us good to begin with, yet He took our blame upon Him and suffered an awful death while knowing that so many for who He died for would mock Him, deny Him and curse Him. Would you send your child to die for such an ungrateful world? I wouldn't. But God did. Because He knew that even though the majority wouldn't accept His invitation to life, many others would. And to God, just one soul saved from sin is enough to die for. You alone were a good enough reason for God to send His Son to die.
God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
While we speak bad about him, make fun of Him and His Son and continue in our evil ways, God shows us His love continually. Despite all the times we push Him away, He still tries to come closer to us. He knows we are deceived by the devil's plans to keep us away from Him. He deceives us through the media, movies, music and so many other outlets that put who God is down and elevate evil habits. But God is trying in so many ways to reach us. So that if you trust Him and follow Him, you would have everlasting life. He just wants to save us from our self-destructing ways. What a promise He gives us despite all the times we've rejected Him! Really what we should ask ourselves is why does God allow us to be saved when we don't even deserve it?
And that's exactly what grace is, a free gift given to someone who doesn't deserve it. The good news is that we all have access to that gift. God wants to give you a life of peace, joy and love but never will He force you into accepting His gifts. The question I have for you today is:
»» Will you take hold of that gift? ««
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, what a wonderful Father You are to us. We push You away and doubt Your goodness all the time, yet You look at us with pity and love. You know that we are just blinded by what society has taught us and You try so hard to get us to see You as You really are. Please help us to see You better. Please show us Your truth so that we can taste and see for ourselves that You are good. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
»» Thank you so much for reading today's post. It took me a while to finish it. It takes time, prayer and God's spirit to really get a point across. I realized as I was writing the first draft that there was too much information to cover in one blog post so in the coming weeks I will post three other parts to this series called "Why Does God Allow Suffering". The second part will talk about God's justice, then a different perspective and finally, our part in all this. ««
God bless you all :) :)
Lots of love and smiles,
Nahisha :)