I am a pastor and I’m always teaching about God and many people come to me questioning about God.
Many people say: If God does exist and if He loves me why does He allow so many atrocities, sickness and sufferings.
How can a God who is all powerful and all loving allow for evil and suffering in this world ?
Have you ever wondered why God allow people to suffer? Have you asked yourself Why God allow so much pain and suffering?
Some people say , I don’t believe in God because there is too much evil in this world.
Others says : I believed in God but not anymore, I lost my faith.
As pastor and counsellor , I’m ministering to people in their most broken conditions and oftentimes I just walk away from people with tears in my eyes.
How do we justify the believer’s suffering ?
If God is a good God , why doesn’t everything workout well ?
Why do believers get sick ? Why do believers get cancer ? Why do believers get involved in accidents ?
Why do People who we love pass away !
Why do children’s get sick ?
Why does God allow that if he loves us ?
1st point :
God created us and gave us Free Will
Free will is the determining factor in pain and suffering.
God did not create the world in the state in which it is now.
In the beginning this world was perfect , beautiful , no pain , no suffering, no accidents , no death ! We were created to live eternally!
Evil came as a result of the selfishness of man and his free will.
The Bible says that God is a God of love and He desired to create a person that would love Him back. God didn’t create robots , He create man with free will to love Him.
But genuine love cannot exist unless freely given. We have the free choice to accept God’s love or to reject it.
This choice made the possibility of evil becoming very real.
2nd point:
Evil and suffering in this world is a result of our departure from God!
The answer is that creation has fallen from its original state.
The world as we see it today is not the world as God intended it in the beginning.
In Genesis Chapter 3, the Bible tells us that everything changed when mankind turned away from God.
Genesis 3:17-19
“Then God said to the man, “I commanded you not to eat from that tree. But you listened to your wife and ate from it. The ground is cursed because of you. You will have to work hard all your life for the food the ground produces. The ground will grow thorns and weeds for you. And you will have to eat the plants that grow wild in the fields. You will work hard for your food, until your face is covered with sweat. You will work hard until the day you die, and then you will become dust again. I used dust to make you, and when you die, you will become dust again.””
What does God said here ? In your life you are going to have troubles ! It’s a reality !
That’s why we have diseases and disasters and hatred and war and broken relationships and all the many other problems that are destroying the human race.
We have departed from God and as a result, pain , suffering, anguish came into this world.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, by their choice, they brought evil into the world.
God is neither evil nor did He create evil.
Man brought evil upon himself by selfishly choosing his own way apart from God.
It’s also the reason God had to send His Son into the world to save and redeem it.
He has a better plan, and He is in the process of working it out.
The Bible teaches us that as Christians, we can use our Faith to conquer or we can use our Faith for suffering !
In other words , we can use our Faith To face the suffering !
Christian life is not all hallelujahs and being at the mountain top, there are also Valleys !
Jesus said:
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, be- cause I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33
That doesn’t sound so good !
Life can get tough , difficult , hard and you need to use your faith !
In this life of faith – you also have to believe in God during the times of suffering !
How many Christians grown bitter and resentful towards God !
WHY DID THAT HAPPEN TO ME ? IF HE IS GOD HE COULD’VE STOPPED IT !
FAITH IS TRUSTING HIM – REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUM- STANCES !
We understand that believers can go through suffering by Faith and through Faith !
Through trusting , through Believing
Maybe you cannot accept it, But God is Good !
He is God and there is no other ! He is supreme , he’s Superior , He’s the creator and you are the creature !
No man ever suffered as Jesus suffered !
We have the tendency to say : God this is a mistake ! I don’t deserve to be going through this !
Why was I born poor ? Why is my life such a mess ?
Why do my kids break my heart ?
Why do I deal with so much pain ?
Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, (Valley of Death) I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Psalm 23:4
I believe in Him in the middle of troubles !
But you have to keep your eyes on the goal , on the reward , look ahead !
Regardless of what happens – I will be with Jesus !
How do we walk ? By Faith or by sight ?
Beloved, we must not walk by sight – we must walk by Faith !
What does that mean : every step you are trusting , you are believing !
Do you believe what the Bible says ?
Romans 8:28 is Paul writing to the believers in Rome ! Where the believers were facing death , suffering and pain.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
All things in Greek – mean each and every thing in the singular
each and every thing will work together , cooperate for good !
3rd point:
Pain and suffering is also good
There is a sickness that is called CIPA – Congenital Insensitivity to Pain, in which the person cannot fell pain ! (Have you heard about it ?)
This problem may sound good – you don’t feel any pain !
But the reality is , if a person steps on a nail , it could puncture their skin, create an infection and they wouldn’t even be aware of it .
A mother of a child that has CIPA said on a TV program : “I pray one prayer every night : God , please let my daughter feel pain”
She can put her hand on a burner and not know that her hand is burning.
Can you see how important pain is?
God in His infinite wisdom allowed pain in our lives to help you know that something is wrong.
When you have a fever , is it bad or good ?
Fever (high temperature) shows you that you have an infection and you need to go to the Doctor.
I also have seen that many people came to God because of their suffer- ing!
We as human beings are so selfish and we only remember God in times of troubles!
When a car accident happens, what is the first thing that people say ?
Oh my God , oh Jesus , God help me , God help them !
But when life is fine , everything is okay , life is healthy , there are no problems , then people forget about God !
I want to finish by saying that : Life is short , what is your life ?
“Your life is like the morning fog (vapour)—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.”
James 4:14
Life passes so quickly and I cannot get young people to understand how brief life is and how quick it passes .
I’m 51 yeas Old , It seems like yesterday I was in school!
Irish men are now expected to live for 78 years, and Irish women for 82 years.
What a thing it is when you think that you have just one short life to live and it will all be over soon!
Time is running out for all of us ! Time is too short
The bible says : redeem the time because the days are evil and the days in which we are living are very evil.
What is important is the quality of life not the length!
Jesus was only 33 years old and at the end of his life he said : I finished the work that God gave me to do !
If God gave you another 1 , 5 , 10 years would your work be finished ?
You need to walk with God, and if you do, you too can finish the work that God gave you to do !
May we invest what little time we have in the kingdom of God.
We have Only one life and it will soon past Only what’s done for Christ will last !
You need to live on this earth – looking towards eternity
God bless and help you !