When one of our children was born, a quietness settled into the room as the expected cry of a child experiencing their first breath did not happen. There was not a lot of talking, but there was quick, quiet work by the nurses' expert hands, along with the arrival of a team of people ready to address what appeared to be a significant crisis. After several minutes, a quiet cry followed as the first breath was taken. There was relief in us as parents as the child's comfort was shattered, marking the beginning of a life of promise, but it also contained the reminder of the reality that there will be a day when the last breath is drawn, and there will not be another cry. The reality is that between those breaths, we will have suffering, whether it be physical or emotional. Suffering is more than an unregulated emotion to be controlled; it comes from real problems that we will face in our lives.1
When we think about a response to suffering that comes from a proper biblical perspective, we quickly recognize that we need to look beyond our feelings. Emotion can be a solid indication that things are not as they should be, and it can cause us to only see the sadness, fear, or anger that comes when things get hard. Emotion generally demands a quick resolution, so difficulties are handled with self-care or therapy.2 These can help, but the deeper roots of suffering are missed, and they do not offer a way to find meaning in pain.
Scripture shows us suffering in its fullness – not as an emotion but as the reality of being broken. Suffering began at the Fall when sin first entered the world. Romans 8 tells us that creation was "subjected to frustration" and waits to "be set free from its slavery to decay."3 This brokenness affects our bodies, and we are born with deception in our hearts. In this condition, relationships are difficult, and our very sense of purpose will be measured by what we can get from others. This pattern of life provides a certainty of disappointment.
Suffering shows up in many ways. Physical suffering happens when our bodies are injured or diseased. In the Bible, Job had painful sores all over his body that left him scraping his skin in agony.4 Apostle Paul talked about his "thorn in the flesh" that wouldn't go away despite his prayers.5 Both men turned to God even when their bodies were in pain. Through suffering, they demonstrated that they depended on God's strength rather than their own.
Our hearts suffer when we feel sad, scared, or lonely. King David wrote many songs about feeling sad. In one psalm, he cried, "I am weak. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are troubled."6 His soul was shaken by the depth of his sorrow, yet he turned to God for hope. Elijah, in his despair, sat down under a broom tree and wanted to die. He told God, "It is enough. Take my life."7 In response to this, God gave him food, rest, and strength to continue. God showed that He cares about our feelings and met each of these men in their darkest moments.
Poverty is another form of suffering that many people experience. In the face of poverty, we have the example of the widow who gave her last two coins as an offering. She had nothing left, yet she trusted God to provide for her. Jesus pointed her out as an example, saying she had given more than all the rich people because she gave everything she had.8 Her story shows us that even when we suffer, losing everything, we can still trust that God cares for us.
Some of the deepest suffering comes from violations in relationships with others. In scripture, we see where Joseph's own brothers were jealous of him and sold him as a slave. That level of betrayal is difficult to imagine!9 He was taken far from his home to Egypt, wrongly thrown into prison, and forgotten for years. Yet later, God used these awful events to redeem the lives of many, including his brothers who had betrayed him. Joseph showed he had a perspective that came from God when he said, "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."10
When life does not produce the results we desire, suffering can emerge as the feeling that life has no purpose. The book of Ecclesiastes talks about the feeling that everything is pointless, like "chasing the wind."11 The writer tried pleasure, wealth, and knowledge but found them all empty. This feeling can lead us to search for something more lasting – God's purpose for our lives.
The issues addressed above are things that happen to us, but suffering that originates in what we do to others has even more devastating results. Sin amplifies suffering in many ways. Our own wrong choices bring pain. Consider King David's affair with Bathsheba and the terrible problems this brought to his family. The prophet Nathan told him, "The sword will never depart from your house."12 David's decision to sin brought lasting consequences that hurt many people. Whole communities suffer when this cycle of sin continues.
Sin is not just something where a wrong choice is accidentally made, and then there are no consequences. The Bible warns us that sin will take over our whole life if it is not addressed. Hebrews tells us to "encourage one another daily" so we don't get "hardened by sin's deceitfulness."13 When we choose to sin, it follows a destructive pattern in our lives. First, we feel tempted to do something wrong; we listen to the lie that it does not matter. We might feel sorrow and tell ourselves we will not do it again, but if we do not confess it, it retains its power. Soon, we get used to choosing to sin, and deeper roots of sin take control in our lives.
For example, a small angry feeling can grow into lasting bitterness. We might tell ourselves we deserve to be bitter because of something that was done to us. But this bitterness dulls our heart toward God and puts up walls between us and others. Our pain spreads to those around us - our family, friends, and community. Romans 1 describes how sin claims more and more of people's lives until it's hard to see clearly or make good choices.14 This is why we need to deal with sin directly rather than just trying to apply some self-care or therapy.
Even though suffering hurts, God can use it for good purposes in our lives. The Bible is full of stories that show this truth. Hagar was a slave who was mistreated by her mistress Sarah. When she ran away to the desert, God met her there. He didn't immediately rescue her from all her problems, but He promised to be with her and bless her son. Hagar called God "El Roi" - the God who sees me.15 She learned that God notices our pain and has a plan, even when we can't see it.
Job lost everything - his children, his wealth, and his health. His friends thought he must have done something terrible to deserve such suffering. But Job held onto his faith through it all. In the end, he said to God, "Before I only heard about you, but now my eyes have seen you."16 His pain helped him know God more deeply than ever before.
Paul wrote about a problem that wouldn't go away despite his prayers. God told him, "My grace is enough for you. My power works best in weakness."17 Paul learned to see his struggles in a new way - not as punishment, but as opportunities to experience God's strength. He wrote, "When I am weak, then I am strong," because his weakness made room for God's power to work through him.
Jesus himself taught that those who suffer are blessed in God's kingdom. In his Sermon on the Mount, he said the poor in spirit, those who mourn, and those who are persecuted would receive God's special care and reward.18 These surprising statements show that God sees suffering differently than we do. While we try to avoid pain, God often uses it to draw us closer to Him and shape us to be more like Jesus.
The Bible teaches that suffering can make our faith stronger, like fire refines gold. James writes, "Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds, because the testing of your faith produces perseverance."19 This doesn't mean we enjoy suffering, but that we can find hope in knowing God is using it for good.
Jesus himself suffered on the cross, showing us that God understands our pain firsthand. He wasn't distant from human suffering but entered into it fully. As he struggled with what was to come, he sweated great drops of blood.20 His suffering was beyond that of his followers who joyfully went to their deaths praising God. His suffering had purpose - to redeem us and make a way for us to be close to a just God. His example shows us that suffering, when given to God, can bring about good that we could never imagine.
When we or someone we love is hurting, we need to respond with both kindness and truth. Psalm 34 reminds us that "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted."21 God doesn't tell us to just get over our pain or pretend we're fine. He meets us in our hurt. We should do the same for others - listening to their pain with care and showing them that they are seen and valued. If we are inflicting pain on others and causing them to call out to God so that we change, we are in a place where we may suffer from discipline for doing wrong rather than suffering that glorifies God. This lacks purpose and is detrimental to ourselves. If others are calling out to God because we are calloused, we must confess this sin and change.
At the same time, we need to gently help people see beyond their immediate feelings to God's bigger purpose. Someone who has faced trauma or betrayal might begin to see themselves mainly as a victim. While their pain is real and shouldn't be dismissed, finding their main identity in suffering can keep them stuck. Instead, we need to encourage them to find their core identity in Christ, who suffered for us and can heal our deepest hurts.22
Churches sometimes fail people who suffer by offering only quick fixes or feel-good messages. They might say "just pray more" or "think positive thoughts" without really addressing the depth of someone's sin or pain. True help comes from teaching the whole Bible and showing how God's promises give us strength to endure hard times.23
When we face suffering, we need to look honestly at ourselves to see if there are patterns in our lives that make pain worse. Anger, dishonesty, or bitterness can take root in our hearts, especially when we've been hurt. True healing begins with repentance - being truly sorry and changing our actions. Choosing forgiveness instead of holding onto hurt frees us from being prisoners of our past pain.24
We can also learn to see our trials as opportunities to grow more like Jesus. Peter writes that trials have come "so that the proven genuineness of your faith may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."25 Our suffering is never wasted when we give it to God.
Reading God's Word daily builds our faith and helps us understand our experiences in light of God's truth. Prayer connects us to God's strength when we feel weak. And serving others shifts our focus from our own problems to God's bigger purposes in the world.26
Suffering touches every life in many ways - through physical pain, emotional hurt, loss, broken relationships, and feeling lost. The Bible doesn't promise us an easy life free from trouble. Instead, it offers something better: God's presence with us in our pain and His power to bring good from even the worst situations.
When we view suffering through the Bible's lens, we see that while our feelings matter, they aren't the whole story. There are deeper issues that need to be addressed - sin, brokenness, and our need for God's healing work in our lives. As we trust God's good purposes and respond with faith and hope, He can use our hardest times to make us stronger and show others His love and power. Our pain, when given to God, becomes a powerful story of His grace, hope, and redemption working in our lives.27
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