Why do the righteous suffer?
Has your faith ever been challenged by this question, “I’m living right – I think – so why are things going so rough for me right now?” Or, perhaps you have tried to tell someone about the power and love of God only to be hit with the question of the ages, “Oh yeah, well, if God is so powerful and so loving, why does He keep allowing all these wars and disasters in the world? Why does He let people do some really mean things to others? Doesn’t He care about economic and ethnic inequalities, oppression and violence, sickness, and death? Or, perhaps He is all powerful and loving, but just doesn’t know – like He’s off on some kind of vacation!”
From GotQuestions.org to Psychology Today, one can Google an answer to the query, “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” or, taking the divine out of the equation, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Previously, we learned that hardships and trials are designed by God for our Strengthening (1 Pet 1:6-7). Not to belittle, suffering may indeed be the result of Unrighteousness on our part for which God is chastening us (Prov 3:11-12; Heb 12:4-11). And suffering may be a necessary ingredient to the Fulfillment of God’s will for our lives (Rom 8:36; 1 Pet 4:19; Phil 1:29). Before we attempt to exclude God from our preconceived idea that life should be easy, let us consider some additional solutions to this problem.
Fulfillment of God’s glory. Suffering also has a far-reaching goal to consider – the glory of God that He might be glorified in it. “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the Lord?” (Ex 4:11). Moses complained of an inability to speak, but God glorified Himself through His prophet who bequeathed the first five books of the Bible and, at the age of 120, preached no less than three evangelical sermons to a nation of over 2 million! The same was true of the man born blind (John 9), whose condition had nothing to do with his or his parents’ sin. Jesus took care of the vision problem in a moment and the man became an unashamed follower of Christ, taking his stand and willing to suffer for His Healer’s sake. I know dear souls who suffer from what are considered “physical disabilities,” but their faith in Jesus belies self-pity and they radiate an explicable joy, glorifying the God who made them for His purposes.
Endurance. A related reason for suffering is to produce perseverance, develop determination, and frankly, see if we are worth our weight in faith. Jesus taught that professing believers have “no root” so endure “only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Matt 13:21). On the other hand, Paul writes how properly rooted Christians “glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom 5:3), that we can do all things, yet, even be content in trying circumstances, “through Christ who strengthens [us] (Phil 4:13). Trials “produce patience,” James says (James 2:1-4). Right now, if you are going through it, hang in there – do not abandon what you have claimed to know as true. Christ is real; you know it; and He will be with you to the end.
Right living. Another reason for which Christians suffer has to do with the wicked world in which we live. On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus told His apostles, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Indeed, a study on the subject of “hate” in the Bible discloses the great spiritual divide between people. Peter commended believers, who because of their “conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully” (1 Pet 2:19-20). He further encouraged “followers of what is good?” to “not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled” (1 Pet 3:14-17). Wicked people manifest their hatred toward God by the way they treat His people. He has also said, “Christian, you can bear unjustified treatment with patience.”
Silent Satan. Among the most interesting answers to the righteous suffering question comes from the divinely inspired historical account of one named Job. The opening chapters of that book of wisdom (Job 1:9-12; 2:3-7), describe how Satan challenged God, saying that he could get the best of the Lord’s servant. But regardless of how difficult the prince of demons made his life, Job’s faith endured. Satan lost the wager and Job was proven righteous. In the end, he too learned the valuable lesson, as we should as well, that we are God’s creatures and He is free to do with us according to His pleasure. But, in the end, with Job, we also see the mercy of God.
Armed with these points, let us consider three responses to suffering that threatens our security. First, may we rejoice in it (1 Thess 5:16) – God is at work for our good and His glory. Also, let us restrain our hearts from debilitating anxiety and fretting – God is upon His throne (Ps 11:4). Finally, let us remember the One, who for our sake, went to the cross and suffered and died alone that we might never be alone but enjoy fellowship forever with the One about whom we sing, “How marvelous, how wonderful is my Savior’s love for me.”
Scriptures to Memorize: Psalm 34:19
Pastor Chandler, a graduate of The Master’s Seminary (MDiv/ThM), serves Victor Valley Bible Church at 16439 Hughes Road in Victorville. Join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 10:15. Please visit victorvalleybiblechurch.org, email the pastor at bibletrom@gmail.com, or see his Bible on Our Day broadcast on YouTube.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Why do the righteous suffer?
