Written by BibleOne Team
October 26, 2025
The Question That Haunts Us
Suffering is a universal language. No one is immune. We experience the pain of a sudden diagnosis, the grief of losing a loved one, the sting of betrayal, or the slow ache of a chronic illness. In these moments, one of the most honest and pressing questions of the human heart arises: "Why?" Why is this happening? If God is loving and all-powerful, why would He allow such pain? It can feel senseless, cruel, and random.
A common response from the world is that suffering is meaningless—a tragic but ultimately purposeless part of a chaotic universe. The Bible, however, offers a radically different perspective. While it never minimizes the reality of pain, it consistently teaches that for the believer, suffering is never without purpose. God is a sovereign artist who is able to take the most broken, jagged pieces of our lives and, in His wisdom, redeem them for our ultimate good and His ultimate glory. This does not make the pain feel good, but it gives the pain meaning. It assures us that our tears are not wasted and that God is doing some of His deepest and most important work in us, not in spite of our suffering, but through it.
The Divine Refinery: God's Purpose in Our Pain
The Bible presents several key purposes for why a good God allows His children to walk through the valley of suffering.
1. To Purify Our Faith
One of the most common biblical metaphors for trials is that of a refiner's fire. Gold is placed in a scorching hot crucible to burn away the impurities (the dross), leaving behind a purer, more valuable metal. In the same way, God uses the heat of affliction to purify our faith.
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." - 1 Peter 1:6-7
Suffering burns away our superficial, fair-weather faith. It reveals what we are truly trusting in. It forces us to move beyond a faith of convenience to a faith of deep, tested conviction.
2. To Produce Character
God is more interested in our character than our comfort. His ultimate goal for us is not an easy life, but a holy life—to be conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Often, the very character qualities we admire most—patience, perseverance, endurance, deep compassion—are forged only in the crucible of hardship.
"...but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." - Romans 5:3-4
Easy circumstances rarely produce deep character. It is in the struggle, in the waiting, and in the pain that we are forced to develop a spiritual maturity that we would otherwise never attain.
3. To Deepen Our Dependence on God
In times of prosperity and ease, it is easy to become self-reliant. We can begin to subtly trust in our own strength, our own wisdom, and our own resources. Suffering has a way of stripping all of that away. It brings us to the end of ourselves, and in doing so, it forces us to depend on God in a way we never have before.
The Apostle Paul spoke of a "thorn in the flesh" that caused him great pain. He pleaded with God three times to remove it. God's answer was no. Instead, God told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul's conclusion was astonishing: "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me." Our weakness and suffering become the very arena in which God's power is most beautifully displayed.
4. To Equip Us to Comfort Others
God does not waste our pain. He uses our experiences of suffering to equip us to minister to others who are going through similar trials. When we have walked through the valley of grief or wrestled with anxiety, we are uniquely able to comfort others with the same comfort we ourselves have received from God.
"[He] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." - 2 Corinthians 1:4
Our scars become a testimony of God's faithfulness and a source of hope for others who are still in the midst of their battle.
Anchoring Our Hope in God's Character
Knowing that God has a purpose in our pain does not make the pain disappear. So how do we hold on to hope in the midst of it? We must anchor our souls in the unchanging character of God.
- He is Good: We must trust that God's heart toward His children is always good. He is not a cosmic tyrant who enjoys our pain. He is a loving Father who only allows what will ultimately be for our best.
- He is Wise: We must trust that God's plan is infinitely wiser than our own. We see only a tiny fraction of the story. He sees the entire tapestry and knows how He is weaving even the darkest threads into a beautiful design.
- He is Sovereign: We must trust that God is in complete control. Our suffering is not a sign that His plan has been derailed. Nothing can touch us apart from His permission, and He can be trusted to filter all our trials through His loving hands.
Conclusion: Hope Beyond the Horizon
The ultimate Christian hope is not for a pain-free life now, but for a perfect life to come. The Bible promises a day when God will create a new heaven and a new earth, and "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4).
Our present suffering, when viewed through the lens of eternity, takes on a new perspective. It is, as Paul says, a "light and momentary" trouble that is achieving for us an "eternal glory that far outweighs it all" (2 Corinthians 4:17). The pain is real, but it is temporary. The glory is eternal. Trust that your loving Father is using your present pain to prepare you for a future glory, and that He will give you all the grace you need to endure until that day.
Faith Reflection
- Looking back at a past trial, can you see any ways God used that difficult season to produce spiritual growth or character in you?
- Which of God's purposes in suffering (purifying faith, producing character, deepening dependence, equipping us to comfort) do you most need to be reminded of in your current struggles?
- How does the promise of a future with no more pain (Revelation 21:4) change your perspective on your present difficulties?
A Prayer in Pain
Father, I confess that I don't understand this pain. It hurts, and I long for it to be over. But I choose to trust You. I believe that You are good, You are wise, and You are in control. Please use this trial to purify my faith and make me more like Jesus. Give me Your grace to endure, and help me to find my hope not in a change of my circumstances, but in the unchanging truth of Your love for me. Amen.