"Does God want me to suffer?"

We usually hobble into this uncomfortable topic because things aren't comfortable. If you grew up around Christians, you may have heard people say "all things work together for good" or "God has a plan" and you walked away saying, "Well, that wasn't helpful!" That's because if that answer is left only to lip-service, it misses the pain behind the question.

I have been speaking to people in Thomasville and listening to people, strangers and friends, from around the country this week through different mediums and I have found a recurring theme. Suffering.

So... "Does God want me to suffer?"

We are going to have to break this question down in order to dig deeper.

GOD: I am speaking of "God" as YHWH (Yahweh), the God is Israel as revealed in the Bible. I believe that I am not God, you are not God, my cat is not God and God isn't inhabiting everything around us. God is simple... in the perfect way, not the stupid way. My friends who don't believe there is anything supernatural in this universe find themselves blaming "God" for many things but I admit that it seems to be a more general definition of a transcendent being. "If he's out there, he's a pretty [expletive] God." they might say. For the purpose of this blog, I will continue assuming that there is one God, the God of Israel as revealed in the Bible. We have to distinguish this because I am not proposing answers for other gods, including the other monotheistic faiths (i.e. Allah of the Muslim faith).

"Want" is a strong word that reveals the pain within this question. Wanting anything cannot tell us the intention but it is a verb. There is motive. But can anyone know the motives of God? Yes. God can speak for himself and he has done it.

Suffering is subjective but it is universal. Suffering embodies a special pain that is rarely healed and never forgotten.

Before I share some observations from scripture, I'd like to share that I have suffered but many have suffered far longer and more desperately than I have. Suffering is not my area of expertise from experience but I have know suffering in two avenues. I have a) personal experiences with suffering through loss and I have b) had close relationship to people going through suffering. Showing empathy and care, as a pastor/friend/family member, to those you love going through suffering provides one of the most vivid educations of suffering on planet earth.

Does God want you and me to suffer? No.

God wants what is best for us and, from what I understand, he does not want that to be suffering. Paul was a high-ranking religious leader who lived in the first century A.D. and was hunting Jesus-followers and crushing this movement we call "Christianity". He had a conversion experience and dedicated his life to spreading the teachings of Jesus as far as he could before his execution.

When writing to the Jesus-followers in Rome, Paul says this;

1) We have been made right with God because of our faith. Now we have peace with him because of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2) Through faith in Jesus we have received God’s grace. In that grace we stand. We are full of joy because we expect to share in God’s glory. 3) And that’s not all. We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. 4) The strength to go on produces character. Character produces hope. 5) And hope will never bring us shame. That’s because God’s love has been poured into our hearts. This happened through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5, NIRV)

There is a process. God understands that suffering allows our perspective to pierce the fog of distractions and secondary purposes we have introduced into our life experiences. This takes different forms...

A dad neglects his kids until the child is diagnosed with Leukemia.

A bully makes fun of the special needs class until he is blinded by a freak accident.

A woman has never considered faith until her first daughter is stillborn.

The family harbors resentment and won't speak until Grandpa tests positive for Covid-19.

Image Credit: shutterstock.com

Suffering changes things but it's not always a happy ending. I believe that suffering could lead to something better if we respond in the way that is taught in the collections of texts, poetry, prophecies and letters we call the Bible. There have been many contemporary books written on the subject of suffering but I will highlight one and let you dig deeper.

In the book Letters to the Church, Francis Chan challenges readers to consider the benefits of suffering as he speaks to the cost of following Jesus Christ. In chapter 7, he states "It's one of the clearest doctrines in the New Testament. Over and over it says that as followers of Christ we are going to suffer for him..." While this post is not about the promise of suffering to those who follow Jesus, this book reveals many passages where we get to see the hope behind the suffering. God isn't orchestrating the suffering like a puppeteer. He is standing beside us with bandages and ointments ready to encourage us and help us endure for our own growth and for the benefit of others.

Yes, others.

Our suffering unlocks new opportunities to help others. If you are following Jesus Christ and growing in your relationship with Him, you now share in his pains and can relate to your Savior.

Again, we usually address this uncomfortable topic because things aren't comfortable. We ask this because God seems distant and, therefore, questionable in his intent.

Suffering can't lead to better things can it? I am at peace that it can if we see that we aren't the only ones.

There are heroic stories of selflessness all around us. The most heroic one involves an innocent Rabbi from the Middle East over 2000 years ago.

Jesus endured suffering on our behalf. Would you consider what he said about fear? About suffering? About hope?

If you are searching for hope and answers in this uncertain time, would you consider reaching out if you have questions? If no one has ever invited you before, know that I am praying for you (and all those who read this) and I invite you to follow Jesus. If you desire this to be a very personal experience right now, I'd encourage you to download the FREE YouVersion Bible app or search "Bible Gateway" online. When you are ready, read 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 10:9.

I'd be honored to help and/or pray with you.

The New Testament letters of I Peter and 2 Peter are written for Jews who were going through persecution and suffering. Here are some additional verses directly about suffering that have offered me some comfort in hard times: Matthew 10:39, I Peter 5:10, 2 Corinthians 1:5 and 4:17, Isaiah 53:3 (prophecy about Jesus)

Thomasville Church is a church-planting effort in South Georgia that launched in 2019. Wanting to learn more about what we are doing at Thomasville Church or come visit yourself? Click around the rest of our website! Want to partner with us and support what God is doing in Thomasville through Thomasville Church? Click here to donate and have an impact through our efforts.