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Why does God allow suffering, which He could prevent, thus making our lives happier?

J. Carl Laney

Professor, Western Seminary

Editor's Note: The following excerpt is taken from Dr. Laney's book, Answers to Tough Questions.

The Bible teaches that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Rom. 8:28). It is reassuring to know that when God allows suffering, which He could prevent, He is accomplishing something good. Some of the good things God can accomplish through our suffering are as follows: building endurance and perseverance into our lives (James 1:3, Rom. 5:3), helping us grow in Christian maturity (James 1:4), proving our godly character (Rom. 5:4), developing Christ-likeness (Rom. 8:28-29), helping us grow in pers

onal holiness (Heb.12:10), and giving us the assurance that we are His children (Heb. 12:7-8). We may not see the good that God is accomplishing. But we can be confident that His eternal purposes are being fulfilled through our trials. Sometimes the dark threads are as needful as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern God has planned. But someday, he will unroll the tapestry of our lives and we will see the beautiful work God has accomplished, partly through suffering. It is important to keep an eternal perspective when going through suffering. Paul wrote, "For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Cor. 4:17-18).

God recognizes that sometimes greater glory will come to His name by permitting evil rather than disallowing it altogether. It is hard to understand from a human and earthly perspective why God will sometimes allow human suffering for the purpose of bringing greater glory to Himself. But if the purpose of our lives is to glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31), then we will accept suffering gladly to more adequately exhibit the greatness of our God. 

Dr. J. Carl Laney is Professor of Biblical Literature at Western Seminary in Portland, OR. For more biblical resources by Dr. Laney, please visit www.carllaney.com.

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anla1974
7/13/2009 1:11 PM
I just think of it this way, He is God. If you can get the fact that He is the ultimate and final authority then you can get the fact that God can allow what He wants and determine to have things go however He pleases whether we are displeased or not. Blessedly, He is a merciful and good God that put those same attributes (goodness and mercy) in us. Tell me, with all the many people that can offend us in life, how many of us show each other mercy once offended or decide to do the opposite and punish each other either with words or actions? God allows suffering because He wouldn't be allowing us free will if He didn't. It is our poor choices that bring about suffering for our world and our personal lives most of the time or others actions on us. However, true to His word, "all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes." Blessed are we that He is not like us, but this is where faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and Gods word come in.
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Ambient_Riot
6/27/2009 1:45 AM
People, please think before you talk, you dishonor Christ by not taking advantage of what He has blessed us with.

What DonnyPauling means is that God relinquishes active control over our lives and circumstances, only acting when it becomes necessary to insure the continuation of his purposes in our lives. This is a view clearly taught in scripture, and verified by reason. If our choices could only come about because God caused them, it would remove the possibility of moral responsibility.

Secondly, Jim.

As stated above, God acts when it is necessary to insure the continuation of His purpose. So, if I were to shoot someone before they accepted the Gospel, this person would not have accepted the gospel under any sustainable circumstance as God allowed his or her death.

This is a view known as Middle Knowledge.

I suggest everyone read William Lane Craig.
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Pohlman
2/5/2009 10:49 AM
RE: God "giving up" some of His power:

If God were to give up some of His power He would cease to be God which, of course, He cannot do. Therefore, we must seek the answer elsewhere.
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