Discussion Forum

Suffering is one of the hardest things to understand as a believer. It seems like a paradox—if God is good, why does He allow so much pain in the world? And why does He allow us, His people, to suffer so intensely? It’s easy to get stuck in the frustration of not understanding why things happen the way they do. The tension between God’s goodness and the reality of suffering can shake our faith, leaving us asking, “Why me?” or “Why now? I’ve spent many nights in tears, not understanding the purpose of the pain I was experiencing. Why did I have to go through such hardship? Why couldn’t I just have peace? These are questions I’ve struggled with, and in my journey, I’ve found that there’s no simple answer. But I’ve also realized that the “why” isn’t always something we can comprehend in full. There’s a part of suffering that remains a mystery, and trying to solve it may only add to the pain.However, as I reflect on the nature of suffering from a biblical perspective, I see that it’s part of the human experience since the Fall. The Apostle Paul speaks about suffering producing endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-5), and James reminds us that trials test our faith and build perseverance (James 1:2-4). God isn’t causing our suffering, but He allows it within His sovereign plan to refine us, to draw us closer to Him, and to prepare us for something greater. Suffering, though painful, is not pointless. In fact, it’s often in our darkest moments that we encounter God in ways we can’t in our moments of ease. Understanding the "Why": There's an element of suffering that brings us closer to God, and often, it’s through the pain that we learn to depend on Him more deeply. But the journey isn’t easy. We still question, we still struggle, and we still long for answers that don’t always come. But the invitation of Scripture is to bring our raw questions, our doubts, and our pain before God, knowing that He understands and sees us in our suffering. The “why” may never be fully explained, but we can trust that God uses suffering to shape us, to purify our hearts, and to make us more like Christ.‍