Evil and suffering – our world is sadly full of both. And without a doubt the number one question that so often prevents people from believing in God is: “If God is so good and powerful, then why does he allow so much evil and suffering in our world?”
As a Christian I have learned that when suffering comes my way I need to trust God that He has a divine plan for ultimate good. And if I allow Him, I can use the suffering I go through as an opportunity to bring Him glory. So, for the Christian we can use suffering to either grow more reliant and close to God or bitter and away from Him.
I like what Zac Poonen says on this topic: “God can make the very worst things that ever happened in your life to work for your very best, if you have faith.”1
If you don’t think that God can bring good out of tragedy then I ask you to consider what happened at Calvary. For it was at the cross that God used the absolute worst thing that ever happened in history – the death of Jesus – to bring about the absolute best thing that could ever happen – the salvation of our souls. My friends trials, tragedies, and suffering afford us the opportunity to turn these negatives into blessings and opportunities to advance the kingdom and bring glory to God. And since one of the main purposes of life is that it provides us the training grounds for eternity, why not realize that God has a divine purpose for even the most negative things in our lives. And after all isn’t the main purpose in life to glorify God!
And the sooner we realize that God has a divine plan for ultimate good, even in our pain and sufferings in life, the sooner we can experience joy; even in our trials and suffering. Jesus gives us a great example of this in (Hebrews 12:2) when He flips the script on Satan. You see Jesus chose, rather than look at the cross as an instrument of ultimate pain and suffering, which it was, but instead saw it as an opportunity to bring ultimate glorification to the Father. And as a result, Jesus experienced great joy at Calvary for we read: “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2).
For I believe that Jesus looked down the corridor of time and said if I go to the cross I will bring salvation to millions of souls. This thought must have brought so much joy to His heart that it gave Him the motivation to go to Calvary. You see, while suffering is never pleasurable, even when it is done to advance the kingdom of God, it can fill your heart with intense joy since I can think of nothing more wonderful than having the approval of our heavenly Father and watching our efforts bless others. For Christian service opens up for us levels of personal fulfillment far exceeding any others. In fact, self-denial and suffering can bring us joy that we can’t get in any other way.
So, my friends, the next time you go through a difficult trial, trust God that He has a plan to use it for ultimate good – and rejoice!