Suffering exists in a broken world, but God uses it to reveal His mercy, save souls, and point you—and others—to Jesus.
We would love to hear from you! Please send us your comments here.
SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. Have you ever wondered, if God is so good, why doesn’t he get rid of awful suffering? Here’s Joni to unpack this for us.
JONI: That’s a question I’m often asked. And I bet you’ve probably wondered the same, especially as you look around at this broken world, or you check your news app, or you glance at the headlines. I met a woman at a conference recently whose sister had committed suicide. The note that she left simply read, “I just can’t take all the suffering anymore.” That was it; that’s all there was. This woman told me that her sister felt overwhelmed by all the pain of life. Now, none of us would ever go to her extreme, but in a small way we can understand her sorrow, her sadness. And so, we ask, “Oh, man, if God is so good, why doesn't he just close the curtain right now, just do away once and for all with all the pain and suffering in the world?!” Now, that’s one of those statements that is more of an emotional appeal than an actual question. But if, if we were to respond to such a tough question, if indeed God were to get rid of suffering right now, He’d have to get rid of sinners. Why? Well, suffering is just one of the consequences of our rebellion against God back in the Garden of Eden, right? Suffering, along with thorns, thistles, death, pain in childbirth is just part of what it means to live in a broken world, a world scarred by sin. You want to get rid of suffering? Get rid of sin. But wait! That means getting rid of sinners and God does not want to obliterate sinners; He wants to save them. Yes, God promises that one day He will end all suffering and sin, and, yes, it may feel like He’s taking a long, long time to do it, but as 2 Peter 3:9 says, [now get this] “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Got that?
When Christ died, God established His kingdom and opened the way for sinners to be rescued. But God was wise, very wise, in not finishing the kingdom when Christ was on earth. Because if He had closed the curtain on suffering, right there at the cross, doing away with all pain and heartache, what in the world would have become of us? For the last 2000 years or so, God has been so rich in mercy toward us! Delaying closing the curtain on sin and suffering all so that more people – millions more over the last 2,000 years – might come to know Jesus.
And I promise you [especially if you suffer] – the Bible promises you – that just five minutes in heaven is going to be worth all the pain. Until then, our sufferings drive us to reach out to unbelieving friends and neighbors with the good news that God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Oh, friend, the cost of suffering may be great, but don’t you agree that people’s souls are worth it?! It’s the only way I can think about my own suffering. Sure, I’d love to go to heaven and put behind me the wheelchair and all the pain that goes with it, but if I can stay on earth a little while longer; if God would be so merciful as to delay in closing the curtain on my life, then I can be used of Him to share good news with so many more people, giving them a chance to come into the fold of God’s family. I don’t think you want anyone to perish either. I believe you want your friends and co-workers to come to repentance. So, join me in believing that their eternal state is worth the suffering that you are facing right now. Share the love of Christ today and be part of bringing others to salvation in Jesus.
SHAUNA: And by the way friend, if you have a prayer request go to joniradio.org and let us know how we can lift up your needs before the Lord.
© Joni and Friends