The world today is filled with problems.
Enormous numbers of people are suffering everywhere for every kind of reason.
These include financial difficulties—crime—broken families—substance abuse—natural disasters
like earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires—new and unprecedented diseases—and much more.
People wonder how much longer they can buy food or pay rent.
They do not know if they can afford healthcare or protect their family from danger.
For those who believe in an all-powerful God, it becomes difficult to grasp how He can permit
such anguish and hardship to continue.
The Bible reveals God is a God of love—merciful, kind and compassionate.
Surely, He is able to halt the human suffering endured by billions, yet He does not.
Have you ever asked, Does God want people to suffer?
Proper understanding begins by examining God’s character.
The purpose of every human life is to personally develop the same holy, righteous character.
The Bible says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace [and] longsuffering.”
And the book of Numbers plainly states, “The Lord is longsuffering.”
To be like Him, we too must suffer!
Even Jesus Christ “learned…obedience by the things which He suffered.”
And Christians are to “follow His steps.”
Unknown to most people, suffering is part of true Christianity.
Periodic tests and trials challenge a Christian’s resolve to continue living God’s way of
life.
Enduring adversity proves whether a person will put his faith in God and trust Him for
deliverance.
Ecclesiastes makes this clear: “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of
adversity consider: God also has set the one over against the other, to the end that man
should find nothing after him.”
God designed life so that we would face “adversity” and be forced to “consider” the circumstances
we are experiencing.
However, all suffering is not the same.
In some cases, it is merely the natural result of one’s own wrong choices.
In others, suffering, often involving persecution, can actually come from living the right way
of life.
And there is also adversity that happens by “time and chance.”
When our physical body experiences pain, we give special attention to it.
God designed human beings to react in the same way to adversity.
He wants to get our attention, to teach us important life lessons.
As a Father, God knows what is best for His creation.
Like any physical father, God loves and cares about His children.
He gave man an Instruction Manual—the Bible—that reveals the way to true happiness.
If man lives contrary to this, God feels pain—He suffers.
Correction is intended to show children the need to change their behavior.
Likewise, part of the reason for suffering is for man to recognize that his own ways
do not work.
Depending on the situation, trials can seem insurmountable.
However, God is willing to deliver any individual who chooses to obey Him.
He promises, “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God
is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will
with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Take comfort in David’s words in Psalm 34: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous:
but the Lord delivers him out of them all…”
God does not want people to suffer.
He ultimately desires that everyone enjoy all the goodness and peace He is willing to
provide.
By enduring and learning from adversity now, true Christians build character in preparation
for God’s coming Kingdom.
To learn much more, read our free article, Why Does God Allow Suffering?, and the free
booklet, Why Man Cannot Solve His Problems.
Also, watch the World to Come broadcast, “Why God Allows Human Suffering.”
All of these items are available on our website, rcg.org.