The Value of Suffering: A Biblical Perspective
Suffering is one of the most difficult realities of life. We instinctively recoil from it, yet Scripture repeatedly demonstrates that suffering has a purpose in God's sovereign plan. A friend and I recently discussed whether suffering is "good." He argued that suffering is not good because it does not exist in heaven. I countered that, in a sense, suffering is good because it draws us to the Suffering Servant—Christ.
This led to a deeper question: If suffering is not part of God’s eternal plan, can it still serve a good purpose in our present lives? To answer this, we must explore what the Bible says about suffering, its role in the believer’s life, and how God uses it for His glory and our growth.
1. The Biblical Reality of Suffering
Suffering was not part of God’s original creation. Before the fall, Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with God, one another, and creation (Genesis 1-2). However, sin introduced suffering, pain, and death into the world (Genesis 3:16-19). From that moment, suffering became a part of human experience.
Despite its entrance through sin, God sovereignly uses suffering for His redemptive purposes.
A. Suffering as a Consequence of the Fall
Genesis 3:16-19 – After Adam and Eve sinned, God declared that suffering (pain in childbirth, toil in work, and physical death) would now mark human life.
Romans 5:12 – "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned."
Suffering is not inherently good, but neither is it meaningless. God, in His sovereignty, has woven suffering into His plan to accomplish His purposes.
2. Suffering as a Means of Drawing Us to Christ
One of the greatest goods that suffering produces is dependence on Christ. Suffering draws us to the Suffering Servant, Christ.
A. Christ, the Ultimate Sufferer
Isaiah 53 paints a striking portrait of Jesus as the Suffering Servant:
Isaiah 53:3-5 – "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief... He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed."
Jesus did not bypass suffering; He entered it fully. His incarnation, life, and death demonstrate that suffering can have redemptive power.
B. Suffering Brings Us Near to Christ
Paul speaks of suffering as a way of knowing Christ more deeply:
Philippians 3:10 – "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death."
2 Corinthians 1:5 – "For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too."
Rather than pushing us away from God, suffering can be the means by which we experience deeper intimacy with Him.
3. Does the Absence of Suffering in Heaven Mean It’s Not Good?
A key objection to the idea that suffering is "good" is the fact that it will not exist in heaven. This is a fair point—Revelation 21:4 tells us that God will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death, mourning, crying, or pain.
However, does the absence of something in heaven automatically mean it is not good in its current context?
A. The Case of Faith and Hope
Two of the most important Christian virtues—faith and hope—will not exist in heaven in the same way they do now:
1 Corinthians 13:13 – "So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Romans 8:24-25 – "For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
Faith is trusting in what is unseen (Hebrews 11:1), and hope is waiting for what is to come. In heaven, both faith and hope will no longer be necessary—we will see God face to face, and all His promises will be fulfilled.
If faith and hope are undeniably good yet will not be present in heaven, then the same logic applies to suffering. While suffering will not exist in eternity, it serves a critical purpose in shaping us into Christ’s image in this present age.
4. Suffering as God’s Tool for Transformation
A. The Example of Joseph
Joseph suffered betrayal, false accusations, and imprisonment. Yet in the end, he could say:
Genesis 50:20 – "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."
What others intended for harm, God used for good.
B. Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh
Paul suffered from a persistent affliction, which he called a "thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Though he prayed for its removal, God responded:
2 Corinthians 12:9 – "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness."
Paul learned that through suffering, God’s power was displayed.
C. Suffering Produces Maturity
James 1:2-4 – "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
Suffering refines us. It humbles us. It teaches us dependence on Christ.
5. God's Use of Satan in Suffering: The Example of Job
The Book of Job offers one of the clearest examples of suffering under God’s sovereign control.
Satan was the immediate cause of Job’s suffering, but God set the boundaries.
Job’s suffering led to a deeper revelation of God.
Job’s story ended not in despair, but in restoration.
After all his suffering, Job declared:
Job 42:5 – "I had heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You."
His suffering was the means by which he truly came to know God.
Conclusion: A Redeemed Purpose
Suffering, though not part of the eternal state, serves a redemptive and transformative role in our present lives.
My friend is also correct in pointing to heaven as our ultimate hope. However, the key is to see suffering not as inherently desirable, but as a means by which God accomplishes His purposes.
This aligns with the paradox of the gospel:
Life comes through death (John 12:24).
Strength comes through weakness (2 Cor. 12:9-10).
Joy comes through sorrow (Psalm 30:5).
Ultimately, suffering leads us to Christ, the One who suffered for us and now suffers with us, until the day when suffering will be no more.
Final Thought
Suffering is not good in itself, but in the hands of a sovereign and loving God, it becomes an instrument of grace—leading us deeper into Christ and shaping us for eternity.
📖 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." — Romans 8:18