As I write this post, I am overwhelmed by what has happened in Kerrville and Kerr County in Central Texas. I hesitate to respond, since words can be so inadequate in the face of such unimaginable, unspeakable loss. In times of immeasurable grief, the best things to say may be, “I love you. I care about you. I’m praying for you. I’m here to cry with you, hold you, listen to you, sit with you, and help you as you think best.” Even those words, of course, must be followed by action.
However, though I am reluctant to write, a dear friend has asked me to do so. His younger family members are asking, “Why does God allow innocent people to suffer?” It may be helpful to discuss this difficult question with those who are not in crisis at the present time, to help them prepare themselves before tragedy strikes. When one uses the word "innocent," one may be thinking in particular of babies and young children who have not yet chosen to sin. Of course, no one who has chosen to sin is innocent in the truest sense of the word.
Ironically, this question proves God’s existence rather than disproving it. This is true because the question assumes the reality of fairness and unfairness, of right and wrong. This sense of “ought” cannot be explained apart from the existence of a personal Creator who put that sense into every human being. The same is true of all personal qualities: love, kindness, sorrow, anger, etc.
There is in this event a second proof of God’s existence and of His care for hurting people. Many first responders have rushed to the scene. There have been multiple, tireless efforts to find and rescue every possible survivor. People across the country have been generous with their time, talents, and financial contributions. Just as surely as architecture reflects its architect, our compassion toward others reflects and proves our Creator.
Since there must be a God who instilled the human conscience, it is ultimately God who has authority over what happens, good or bad. Whether He causes something or simply permits it, God is supreme over all things. For this reason, Job never stopped believing in God, even when struck by repeated, unimaginable adversity. Job knew that God was still God, even though Job could not understand the “why” of human suffering.
What does the Bible teach about suffering?
First, God made a perfect world, without pain, sickness, earthquakes, floods, or even death. However, the sin of Adam and Eve caused God to curse the ground (Genesis 3). As a result, the earth is broken to a certain degree, and disasters are the result. It is not God but man who opened this “Pandora’s Box” and introduced suffering into the world. When a horrific event occurs, the question is not always, “Why did God allow this?” but rather, “Why did man sin and introduce all these painful consequences?”
God has at times used a flood (in Noah’s day), famines (on several occasions in Genesis), ten plagues (in Egypt), and an onslaught of locusts (in the book of Joel) as acts of judgment against the unrighteous. Of course, this does not answer why innocent people suffer, but it does demonstrate God’s control over the so-called “forces of nature.”
God has also tested faithful people on occasion to reveal whether they would obey Him in difficult circumstances. For example, He deprived the Hebrews of food to teach them that man does not live by bread alone (Deuteronomy 8:3).
Satan – with God’s permission – used multiple tragedies and personal affliction to try to get Job to deny God. Job could still choose to trust and obey God. As a result, he experienced tremendous recovery and victory. Satan lost; God and Job won. When we suffer it is wise to ask, “How might Satan be at work here? How does Satan want me to respond to this?”
Some afflictions, pain, and death are the result of human sin. God created man with the freedom to choose evil, just as parents with their own children. God is not to blame for the actions of the drunk driver, the arsonist, the terrorist, the drug trafficker, or the thief.
Some adversity is the consequence of human error or mistakes. When a driver makes a wrong turn, an airplane component malfunctions, or a pharmacist, pilot, or surgeon slips up in some way, God is not at fault.
The apostle Paul saw value in his suffering. His unresolved thorn in the flesh taught him humility (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). His unjust imprisonment gave him a new audience for the gospel and increased the evangelistic boldness of other Christians (Philippians 1:12-14). His physical persecutions, even to the point of death, helped him value the suffering of Christ and want to share in that suffering (Philippians 3:10).
We have addressed the question, “Why does God allow suffering?” Here is the next related question. “If God is all powerful, all caring, and all good, why has He not provided a way to end such suffering?” The answer is, “He most certainly has.”
To solve the problem of human suffering, which man (not God) initially caused. God became a man. He entered into human suffering. He paid the price for man’s sins by dying a horrific death on the cross. He overcame death itself by rising from the dead on the third day. So the idea that God does not care about our adversities is false. The claim that God is unable to resolve human suffering is wrong.
As a result of the cross and the empty tomb, God will ultimately remove all suffering for those who trust and obey Him. There will be no mourning, pain, sorrow, or death in heaven. Those who die in the Lord, regardless of their age or circumstances, leave this broken world to go home.
And finally …
No one who has gone to be with Jesus wishes that he or she could come back to this earth. Each person, now in the presence of God, knows that God brought him or her through the flood, through the cancer, through the car accident, through the fire, and through death itself. No one in that happy place blames God or questions God’s fairness and faithfulness.
The Bible does not promise immunity from tragedy here, and it would be a tragic mistake to assume such. The Bible describes us as “sheep led to the slaughter” because in fact we may face the worst circumstances possible. But it claims that, even in the midst of distressing events, we are more than conquerors because of the love of Jesus Christ!
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No matter what happens, we choose to trust and obey God, and to give Him the glory!
