I hear it all the time. If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is all powerful, why doesn’t He do something?
The short answer is He did.
When God created us, He gifted us with something so powerful, so revolutionary, it would change the way we relate as humans to God forever. It’s called free will.
The short answer is He did.
When God created us, He gifted us with something so powerful, so revolutionary, it would change the way we relate as humans to God forever. It’s called free will.
What good is being loved by someone who is forced to love you? God doesn’t want that. He wants us to choose Him, as He chose us. That is why God allows us to think for ourselves.
Make no mistake, free will is a gift! But it can also be a curse.
In the garden, Adam and Eve made a choice to eat of the forbidden fruit. Their choice led to the fall of man. Because of their actions, evil was allowed to enter the world and the earth was cursed.
We live in a broken world, no doubt. But I get so frustrated when people blame all of their suffering on God. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t have free will and expect some people not to chose darkness and for that darkness not to have an impact on others.
Picture this…. You’re standing by a lake with a surface as smooth as glass. You drop a small pebble into the water, which causes waves to ripple outward, growing bigger and bigger. Now imagine there are billions of other pebbles all being dropped in at the same time around the shores. Think of all the waves that would result!
That is what it’s like when people make decisions in this world, whether for evil or for good. Their actions have ripple effects that we are forced to interact with, whether we like it or not.
But suffering doesn’t have to be meaningless. Often times out of the darkest nights come the brightest days. It is in our times of crisis that we first realize our need for a savior. When we start to understand that we can’t do it alone, we start looking for the one who can lead us, and God is the only unchanging rock worthy of putting our trust in.
Why didn’t God do something about suffering? He did!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God sent His Son, Jesus, as the light than is able to overcome any and all darkness. No matter what happens in this life we have hope because of Jesus! One day, He “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
As followers of Jesus we have an important role to play in the fight against evil and suffering each and every day. Have you ever heard the quote, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing?” (Edmund Burke)
We are not called to sit idly by and watch evil and suffering take place. We are called to be a force of action. It is not enough to point out the bad things that are happening around us and wonder why doesn’t God do something. We are that something!
We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are the body of Christ ”and if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26
God never promised we would have a life without a few bumps. In fact, He said the opposite.
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
So instead of wondering why God doesn’t do something about the suffering in this world, maybe we need to look in the mirror and ask what we have done lately.
Make no mistake, free will is a gift! But it can also be a curse.
In the garden, Adam and Eve made a choice to eat of the forbidden fruit. Their choice led to the fall of man. Because of their actions, evil was allowed to enter the world and the earth was cursed.
We live in a broken world, no doubt. But I get so frustrated when people blame all of their suffering on God. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t have free will and expect some people not to chose darkness and for that darkness not to have an impact on others.
Picture this…. You’re standing by a lake with a surface as smooth as glass. You drop a small pebble into the water, which causes waves to ripple outward, growing bigger and bigger. Now imagine there are billions of other pebbles all being dropped in at the same time around the shores. Think of all the waves that would result!
That is what it’s like when people make decisions in this world, whether for evil or for good. Their actions have ripple effects that we are forced to interact with, whether we like it or not.
But suffering doesn’t have to be meaningless. Often times out of the darkest nights come the brightest days. It is in our times of crisis that we first realize our need for a savior. When we start to understand that we can’t do it alone, we start looking for the one who can lead us, and God is the only unchanging rock worthy of putting our trust in.
Why didn’t God do something about suffering? He did!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God sent His Son, Jesus, as the light than is able to overcome any and all darkness. No matter what happens in this life we have hope because of Jesus! One day, He “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4).
As followers of Jesus we have an important role to play in the fight against evil and suffering each and every day. Have you ever heard the quote, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing?” (Edmund Burke)
We are not called to sit idly by and watch evil and suffering take place. We are called to be a force of action. It is not enough to point out the bad things that are happening around us and wonder why doesn’t God do something. We are that something!
We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are the body of Christ ”and if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26
God never promised we would have a life without a few bumps. In fact, He said the opposite.
"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
So instead of wondering why God doesn’t do something about the suffering in this world, maybe we need to look in the mirror and ask what we have done lately.