God and Suffering (Pt. 3): One Counselor’s Perspective
“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”
— Victor Frankl
So, now that we know God is not in the business of zapping us with lightning bolts in righteous fury, what can he do with our suffering?
The whole idea that something good comes from something bad is enmeshed into the foundation of our faith—life from death, new creation from old, strength from weakness. In that same way, God can make something positive come out of our pain. He can turn our tears into joy. This may seem impossible when we are in unimaginable emotional or physical pain, but Romans 8:28 says, “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."
For those in Christ, suffering has meaning because we are designed for something greater. It allows God to work something good in us. When we tell our testimony to others, we can then clearly explain what great thing God did for us through our difficulties.
Let’s take a look at 5 ways that God can redeem our suffering for good.
1. Discipline.
A.W. Tozer once wrote: “God has cleansed His child in the only way He can, circumstances being what they are. Thank God for the furnace.”
My three-year-old, Noah, is in a superhero phase right now. He's also so proud he’s the big brother to his twin baby brother and sister and wants to play with them. We’ve had many talks with him about being gentle with the babies, but he is a headstrong boy. One day I turned back from pouring a juice for Noah to find him holding his baby brother Luke awkwardly and about to body slam him. After spilling the juice to rescue Luke, I calmly took Noah into his room for a time-out. After declaring, “I am not your best friend anymore, Daddy!” he hung his head in shame and cried on the floor.
My heart sank. He just wanted to play with his siblings and doesn’t understand the consequences of rough play with an infant. Still, if I didn’t give him a consequence, he wouldn’t learn his lesson and would do the same thing again. I spent time with him after, explaining the reason why it’s dangerous to wrestle a baby. I felt ridiculous explaining it, but as a child, he doesn't understand what’s best for him or others.
The same can be said of us as God’s children. He knows what we need to learn to be healthier and holier, even when it doesn’t seem to make sense to us. What is God teaching us if he allows us to continue down a destructive path? Sometimes sin or an unhealthy habit needs to be pruned from us so that we can enjoy life more abundantly, step into the purpose he has for us in relation to others, and ensure that we don’t abandon our eternal salvation through Christ by turning to sin. (1 Corinthians 11:32, Deuteronomy 8:5)
2. Sanctification.
God wants to make us more like Jesus Christ. Our eternal destination is always a priority as far as God is concerned. He still cares about what happens to us on this side of eternity, but this world and body are not our forever-home. When we are refined and purified through our suffering, we conform more closely to the character of Christ (Romans 8:28-30, James 1:2-4). This prepares us for heaven and also enables us to be lights on a hill and witnesses to non-believers here on earth. This training in righteousness prepares us for the glory of Heaven (2 Corinthians 4:17). When we suffer, we are dependent on God and lean into him, and as we do, we learn more about who he is and what this means in relation to our identity in him.
3. Comfort others.
We can find meaning in our suffering when we learn it isn’t in vain. There is always purpose in suffering. Through our difficult circumstances, God puts people in our lives with whom we can share the good news. We can support and comfort other believers who can also do the same with us. It’s much easier to minister to others when God has carried us through similar circumstances.
4. Deeper Relationship
God may allow suffering in our lives to draw us closer to him. This is so we can know Christ more fully (Philippians 3:10). Just like Job, suffering brings us into deeper understanding and relationship with God.
Altar calls are full of desperate people who realize they need help. When we are in need, we draw closer to God for comfort, hope, and strength. Meaningful relationship is developed when we let go of our pride, realizing we can’t white-knuckle it through the storms of life, and learn to depend on God. We can identify with the suffering and sacrifice that Christ endured for us when we go through our own pain; this teaches us about aspects of God’s character, including his deep abiding love.
5. He knows what’s best for us
God’s ways are higher than ours. Since he knows our hearts better than we do, and he can see the future, he always knows what is best for us (Isaiah 55:8-9). When God closes a door it can be upsetting and hard to endure. Perhaps we didn’t get hired at that dream job we interviewed for, or a romantic relationship ends abruptly. Maybe we’re in a waiting period while everyone seems to be moving on with their lives. Whatever it is we think we want now may in reality not be the best thing for us in the long run.
Proverbs 16:9 says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Sometimes we may never know why God closes doors, but we can trust that he has our best interest in mind when he says “no” to something we want.
In conclusion: trust and hope for the future
No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, when we submit to God, he promises to use our suffering for good. While that’s great news, difficult seasons are never easy to go through. We still need to endure. When things get tough God asks us to trust him. Sometimes that can be even harder than the pain itself.
On this side of things, it feels like a complicated relationship between God and suffering. But as we’ve seen, there is hope, meaning, and significance wrapped up in it all. In times of the deepest pain, I pray we will call out to God and take hold of what he offers us, evening in those darkest and most difficult moments. For even there, He waits for us to meet him because he so deeply loves and cares for us.
Because of Jesus Christ, we have a hope that one day there won’t be any pain when he wipes our tears away. Until then we should live as intentionally and richly as possible, accepting both the valleys and peaks, knowing that God is in control, and everything, even our darkest moments have meaning.