This is a question that has been asked for a long time. It’s a good question when you think about it. If God loves us as much as he says and is as powerful as he says, then why allow suffering? Some people have even said that “he’s either not all powerful or he’s not all good.” I’d like to try and tackle that question by pointing to two people in the bible Joseph and Jesus.

First I’d like to share some of my thoughts. God created man with a free will. That means we have a choice about what we do with our lives. We can love God and others or we can hate God and others. God does not make us do anything. God has a purpose for all of our lives. We can choose to live it out or not. God wants to have a relationship with you. For that to be possible God can’t just program you to love him. It wouldn’t be real love. Now with that in mind, let’s look at Joseph.

The story of Joseph can be found in Genesis chapters 37 through 50. Here’s a quick summary. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him because he was the favorite. So they decided to sell him into slavery to Egypt. When he was in Egypt, God blessed him and he rose through the ranks. Only to then be falsely accused of abusing Pharaoh’s wife and then got thrown in prison. That’s the first half of the story. In case it hasn’t clicked yet, a lot of terrible things happened to Joseph… and God allowed it… Why?

The second half of the story goes like this. God blessed Joseph again (while in prison) and gave him the knowledge to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams. He prophesied a great fathom in the land was coming in seven years. So Egypt prepared and when the fathom came they were ready. People from all over came to seek refuge in Egypt… including Joseph’s family. Yeah, the ones that sold him into slavery. Joseph eventually reunited with his family and forgave them. Then he says something to them that sums up what I’m trying to communicate. Joseph said, ” As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” That’s Genesis 50:20. God didn’t “make” Joseph’s siblings sell him into slavery. That was their choice. God didn’t make Pharaoh’s wife falsely accuse him of abuse, that also was her choice. But, what God did do is he took the evil that was done and reworked it to bring about good!

If you’re reading this right now and going through something difficult. Maybe it was your fault, maybe it wasn’t. Still, this might be a hard pill to swallow. I know it is for me. When I’m in the middle of suffering, all I can think is “Why me?” “When will this end?” “These Bible stories aren’t helping.” I think these Bible stories show that God can use your pain to bring about something good. That seems unlikely when we’re in the middle of it, but remember God sees the bigger picture. He sees things that you don’t. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at the story of Jesus’ life. 

He lived the perfect life. He committed no sin in his life. He healed people, performed miracles, and taught about the love of God. But what happened to him?? He was arrested, whipped, and eventually crucified. That’s a lot of suffering for someone who did nothing wrong. But God allowed it… and reworked the suffering to bring about the greatest good… a path to heaven. Through Jesus’ suffering, we can find forgiveness for our sins, a relationship with God, and ultimately a hope for a future with him in heaven! One of the descriptions of heaven that came to mind is Revelation 21:4. It is a description of what will happen when we meet God face to face. It goes like this. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

There is a lot of pain and suffering in your life and worldwide. I can’t give you a definitive answer as to why God allows it. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about suffering. But what I can say is that the bible shows us that God is not ignorant of our suffering. He sees you in your pain and understands. Jesus suffered in many ways before the crucifixion. Many people hated him, he lost loved ones, and he suffered a panic attack before he was arrested. God knows suffering. So I plead with you, don’t let your pain and suffering push you away from God. Instead, lean in because there is hope for a future. I like what author and pastor Levi Lusko said about pain. “Your pain has a problem. Your pain has a time limit.” One day all will be made right and there will be no more suffering. God Bless you.