Questions I’ve always wanted to ask God
“God, why is there so much suffering and evil in the world?” Part II
“Why is there suffering?” Rest assured there is a day coming when suffering will CEASE and evil will be JUDGED – a day when injustices will be made right. Often people will ask: “If God has the power to eradicate evil and suffering, why doesn’t He do it?” The answer is that because He hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean He won’t do it.
Who am I to question His timing? Criticizing God for not doing it yet is like reading half a novel and then criticizing the author for not tying up the loose ends of the plot.
In fact, the Bible says that the day will come when sickness and pain will be eradicated, and people will be held accountable for the evil they’ve committed.
So, what’s holding Him up? One answer is that some of you are. God is actually delaying the consummation of history in anticipation that some of you will still put your trust in Him and spend eternity in heaven. He’s delaying everything out of His love for you. 2 Peter 3:9 says: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” To me, that’s evidence of a loving God, that He would care that much you.
Our suffering will PALE in COMPARISON to what God has in store for His followers. I don’t want to minimize pain and suffering, yet it helps if we take a long-term perspective. Look at this verse, and remember they were written by the apostle Paul, who suffered through beatings and stoning and shipwrecks and imprisonments and rejection and hunger and thirst and homelessness and far more pain that most of us will ever have to endure. These are his words: 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For our light and momentary troubles” — wait a second: light and momentary troubles? Romans 8:18: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Think of it this way. Let’s say that on the first day of 2005, you had a terrible day. You had a painful root canal at the dentist. You crashed your car. Your stock portfolio took a nosedive. Your spouse got sick. A friend betrayed you. From start to finish, it was like the title of that children’s book: Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
But then every other day of the year was just plain terrific. A friend wins the lottery and gives you $25 million. You get promoted at work to your dream job. Time magazine puts your color photo on its cover as “The Person of the Year.” You have your first child and he’s healthy and strong. Your marriage is idyllic, your health is fabulous, and you have a three-month vacation in Tahiti.
Then next New Year’s Day someone asks, “So, how was your 2005?” You’d say, “It was great; it was wonderful!” They might say, “But didn’t it start out bad? Didn’t you go through a lot of trouble that first day?”
You’d think for a moment and say, “You’re right. It was a bad day, no denying it. It was difficult at the time. But when I look at the totality of the year, when I put everything in context, it’s been a great year. The 364 terrific days far outweigh the one bad day. It just sort of fades away.”
The same will be true in heaven. That’s not to deny the reality of your pain in this life. It might be terrible. It might be chronic. It might go on for all 72 of your years. But in heaven, after 54,484,545 days of pure bliss – and with an infinite more to come – if someone asked, “So, how has your existence been?” you’d instantly react by saying, “It has been wonderful! Words can’t describe the joy and the delight and the fulfillment!” And if they said, “But didn’t you have a tough time before you got here,” you’d probably think back and say, “Well, yes, it’s true that those days were painful, I can’t deny that. But when I put them into context, in light of all God’s outpouring of goodness to me, those bad days aren’t even worth comparing with the eternity of blessings and joy that I’ve experienced.”
Evil, suffering, and injustice are a reality in this world. What we do with them and allow them to do to us will make all the difference. In Luke 12:6-7 Jesus affirms that God is concerned about sparrows and even more deeply concerned for you and me. Faced with the reality of human suffering, we should stay focused on spiritual and eternal things. Let’s commit to allowing such things to make us better not bitter.
We will worry less about the temporary suffering we face in this life if we have the eternal perspective that the apostle Paul possessed (2 Corinthians 4:17,18). “17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an incomparable eternal weight of glory. 18 So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
How can I make this hope and promise a reality in my life? Stayed tuned.
Write or call and let us know what you think. Would you like more information or a personal study of this issue? I would love to accommodate your request. Do you have questions or disagreements? We will be happy to study God’s Word with you and help you find the “peace that passes understanding” (Philippians 4:7).
We hope you will accept our offer to visit and investigate. We meet at 15530 Herriman Blvd. in Noblesville. Our phone number is (317) 219-5852. We meet for Sunday morning Bible Study at 10 a.m. and have classes for all ages. Worship begins at 11 a.m. and we have a Bible Study Wednesdays at 7 p.m. A warm welcome awaits!