Is Suffering Good? A Biblical Perspective
Suffering is one of life’s greatest challenges, raising serious questions about God’s nature, His plans for humanity, and how we are to live in the midst of pain. For many believers, the experience of suffering often prompts a difficult but necessary reflection: What does suffering mean for us, and is it ultimately good?
At first glance, the question may seem counterintuitive. How could something as unpleasant as suffering be considered "good"? Yet, Scripture, theology, and experience provide rich answers that reshape our understanding of suffering, its purpose, and its place in the life of faith.
Suffering in God’s Plan
The Bible offers clear evidence that God uses suffering for His purposes. While God does not cause evil, He does ordain or allow suffering to refine, sanctify, and draw us closer to Him. This truth is woven throughout Scripture:
Paul’s Calling to Suffer for Christ God explicitly told Ananias in Acts 9:15-16 that Saul (later Paul) would suffer greatly for His name. Far from being incidental, suffering was central to Paul’s mission. Through his hardships—beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and more—Paul’s life displayed the power and glory of God. In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Paul declared, “For when I am weak, then I am strong,” illustrating how God uses suffering to reveal His sufficiency and strength.
Job’s Ordeal The story of Job (Job 1-2) shows that God permits suffering, even for the righteous. Job’s intense pain, allowed by God but inflicted by Satan, ultimately revealed God’s sovereignty, deepened Job’s understanding of God, and resulted in restoration.
Jesus’ Suffering The most astounding example of suffering being used for good is found in Jesus Christ. Isaiah 53:10 states, “It was the Lord’s will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer.” Through His suffering, Jesus accomplished humanity’s redemption, proving that God uses even the deepest pain for the highest good.
Is Suffering Good?
Evangelical theology acknowledges that suffering is not inherently good—pain, loss, and hardship are consequences of living in a fallen world. However, in the context of God’s redemptive purposes, suffering can lead to extraordinary good. Here’s how:
Suffering Draws Us to God Suffering often reveals our need for God. When life’s comforts are stripped away, we are confronted with our dependence on Him. As C.S. Lewis famously wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
Suffering Refines and Sanctifies Romans 5:3-5 teaches that suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Similarly, Hebrews 12:10-11 describes God’s discipline (often involving suffering) as painful in the moment but producing a harvest of righteousness and peace. Suffering, then, is a tool in God’s hand to mold us into Christ’s image.
Suffering Brings Eternal Perspective In 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, Paul reminds us that “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Suffering can shift our focus from temporary earthly concerns to the eternal promises of God.
Suffering Equips Us for Ministry When we endure suffering, we are better able to comfort others in their trials. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:4, “[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
A Good That Transcends the Pain
While suffering can lead to good, evangelical teaching avoids labeling suffering itself as "good" apart from its context in God’s purposes. Pain, in and of itself, is not the good we seek. Rather, it is the work God does through suffering that transforms it into something meaningful and redemptive.
This distinction is critical. Suffering, when isolated from God’s purposes, may seem purposeless and cruel. However, in God’s sovereign hands, it becomes a means of spiritual growth, intimacy with Christ, and eternal reward. It is the presence of God in our suffering that makes all the difference.
Personal Reflection: The Gift of Suffering
As difficult as suffering is, many believers (myself included) have come to see it as a gift. Through suffering, we are invited to trust God more deeply, experience His grace, and grow into the people He has called us to be. Consider Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-9): though it caused him great anguish, he came to see it as a blessing because it revealed the sufficiency of God’s grace.
Similarly, suffering often compels us to lean on God in ways we wouldn’t otherwise. When life is easy, we may forget our dependence on Him. But in seasons of pain, we discover the depth of His love, the strength of His promises, and the power of His presence.
Conclusion
Suffering is a reality of life in a fallen world, but it is not without purpose. While suffering itself is not "good," in the hands of a sovereign and loving God, it becomes a tool for good—drawing us closer to Him, refining our character, and preparing us for eternal glory.
As we face suffering, we can rest in the assurance that God is with us, working all things (including pain) for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28). Far from being meaningless, our suffering is part of His redemptive story, a story that points us to the ultimate good found in Christ alone.