Why does a Loving God permit suffering?
Why does a Loving God permit suffering? This unanswered question haunts mankind through all ages. Why we need to suffer? Why these things happen? Can a loving God allow sufferings? Why did this happen to me? Is it necessary for one to go through so many sufferings? These types of questions about human sufferings always arise from human mind.

There are many who turned away from God and many who had fallen away from faith in God because of the suffering they endured. Many become troubled and many go away from their prayer life.
Sufferings in life are a reality that follows human beings like a shadow. One way or other everyone has to go through various sufferings in their life.

Human sufferings create in itself a vast universe. It is always with him. Sometimes it fades away and sometimes it doesn’t. It exerts its root deeply in human life.

These sufferings which we and others go through, seems useless and meaningless in human perspective. We understand the true meaning of suffering only if we look at it though a faith perspective.
In God’s plan, each of the suffering a human being going through has a purpose for salvation. Through the suffering and crucifixion of our Lord, our salvation is achieved. Also through the suffering of Jesus Christ, the human pain was entering into a new experience of salvation. The meaning and value of human suffering was fully revealed through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Each believer was called to achieve this salvation experience through suffering. When we are spiritually united with the cross of Christ and accept the suffering in our life, the Holy Spirit will reveal the salvation value of suffering to us. Then we will be able to achieve inner peace and inner joy in the middle of pain and to enter into the grace of faith and hope.

Christian life is not just a life of praise and well being. It is also a life of suffering. Suffering is a part of life just as joy is. Each Christian is called to partake in this suffering.

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you want to come with me, you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.

Mark 8:34
Then Jesus called the crowd and his disciples to him. "If any of you want to come with me," he told them, "you must forget yourself, carry your cross, and follow me.

Luke 14:27
Those who do not carry their own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples.

Matthew 10:38
Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples.

1 John 2:6
if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.

1 Peter 2:21
It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps.

Philippians 1:29
For you have been given the privilege of serving Christ, not only by believing in him, but also by suffering for him.
The Holy Scriptures reveals to us that the sufferings are a blessing from God, a gift and a privilege. Sufferings act two ways in human beings.

· Sufferings for spiritual sanctification
· Sufferings after spiritual sanctification

Sufferings for spiritual sanctification

Sufferings as a way of Disciplining

Loving parents always discipline their children. Disciplining and punishment are two different things. Disciplining is always performed with a goal to correct a person.

When a person live in a worldly way, suffering will be allowed by God as a punishment for salvation to change him from that path and guide into the experience of repentance.

Hebrews 12:5-8
Have you forgotten the encouraging words which God speaks to you as his children? "My child, pay attention when the Lord corrects you, and do not be discouraged when he rebukes you. Because the Lord corrects everyone he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a child." Endure what you suffer as being a father's punishment; your suffering shows that God is treating you as his children. Was there ever a child who was not punished by his father? If you are not punished, as all his children are, it means you are not real children, but bastards.

Proverbs 3:11-12
My child, when the LORD corrects you, pay close attention and take it as a warning. The LORD corrects those he loves, as parents correct a child of whom they are proud.

Deuteronomy 8:5
Remember that the LORD your God corrects and punishes you just as parents discipline their children.
Revelation 3:19 I rebuke and punish all whom I love. Be in earnest, then, and turn from your sins.

Job 5:17-18
Happy is the person whom God corrects! Do not resent it when he rebukes you. God bandages the wounds he m akes; his hand hurts you, and his hand heals.

Acts 17:27 He did this so that they would look for him, and perhaps find him as they felt around for him. Yet God is actually not far from any one of us;

 II. Sufferings after spiritual sanctification

God will purify a person who entered into the experience of repentance and grace by letting him go through sufferings. Through this spiritual purification by suffering one will grow in a personal relationship with Christ and will be raised up in holiness and deep rooted in grace.

Just like gold is going through fire, our spirit will be purified through suffering. Each suffering is like the fire that cleanses the stains in our heart. Then our spirit will shine like pure gold. Step by step it will detach us from the worldly pleasures we are attached to, and allow us to live a life trusting in God each moment.

When we go through suffering the strength of God will be with us. It will transform our life by detaching it from worldly pleasures. We are just passing through this world. But, through each suffering we go through, God is revealing us that our soul is eternal.

What God ask from us is daily sacrifices and complete surrendering so that he can transform us into perfect creations.

Matthew 5:48
You must be perfect - just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

John 15:2
He prunes every branch that does bear fruit, so that it will be clean and bear more fruit.

1 Peter 2:20
For what credit is there if you endure the beatings you deserve for having done wrong? But if you endure suffering even when you have done right, God will bless you for it.

1 Peter 2:19
God will bless you for this, if you endure the pain of undeserved suffering because you are conscious of his will.

1 Peter 5:9
Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings.

James 1:12
Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:2
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the result is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

1 Peter 4:13
Rather be glad that you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may be full of joy when his glory is revealed.

1 Peter 4:16 However, if you suffer because you are a Christian, don't be ashamed of it, but thank God that you bear Christ's name.