I’m suffering! I thought God was good?!

Posted on by Adaeze Mbata

What a year 2020 has been. 

A lot has happened this year and almost everyone has been affected by all that has transpired. Understandably, the title of this article echoes a statement that has been on the lips and minds of so many, including believers. 

From the pandemic, to injustices all over the world, to death and loss, natural disasters, you name it, this year has been ridden with lots of events that have caused people pain, suffering, affliction, grief and tribulation. Thus, many have wondered how God is good amid it all. 

What does it mean for God to be good?

This is quite key. A lot of the times as believers, we can be quick to affirm things that we don’t truly and accurately understand; sometimes, out of routine. 

Although, we cannot fully know and comprehend God, we can truly and accurately know and comprehend who He says He is. For a long time (and by that, I mean until a couple of weeks ago), I thought God’s goodness simply meant that He is “nice”, “loving”, “merciful” and “caring”, which are all true. However, God’s goodness considering scripture, transcends these attributes and quite frankly, our human understanding of what it means to be good.

In Mark 10:18, Jesus answered: “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone”.

“Goodness is not something apart from God. The ultimate norm for goodness itself, is the eternal character of God Himself”

R.C Sproul

In other words, goodness is not only what God does, it is who He is; what God does externally is always perfectly consistent to who He is internally – His nature. God IS good.

Therefore, God always acts and behaves according to His nature; according to His own character which is altogether perfectly holy and righteous. The truth of God’s goodness also means that, all He knows how to do is right because He is pure [James 1:13]. Thus, He is the source of all goodness [James 1:17].

In a sermon, Kevin DeYoung (a reformed theologian and pastor), explored God’s goodness as: necessary, voluntary and communicative.

  1. Necessary: God is good. It is His nature. It is all He knows how to do [Psalm 119:68]
  2. Voluntary: God voluntarily wills to share His goodness with the world. He doesn’t have to because He is still good regardless and delights in that through His perfect union and love in the Trinity. But He chooses to.
  3. Communicative: God communicates His goodness to us, and we perceive it in different ways. Here are some examples:
  1. God’s goodness to those in misery, we call mercy. 
  2. God’s goodness to forebear with people who are deserving of His judgement, we call patience. 
  3. God’s goodness to the guilty, we call grace. 

Thus, Kevin summarises God’s goodness as the “overflowing bounty of God by which He who receives nothing from us and lacks nothing, communicates blessing to His creation and creature”.

God’s goodness is displayed and communicated in creation, providence and redemption [Psalm 33:5].

Suffering

*Heavy sigh*

It is important to remember that the Bible strongly affirms the naked reality of pain, suffering, affliction, grief as well as, tribulation [John 16:33]. However, this was not God’s original design – when God created the world, He saw that everything He made was good [Genesis 1:31]. 

Suffering entered the world as a result of sin – the rebellion and disobedience of man (Adam and Eve) ushered this in [Genesis 3]. As a result of the depravity of man, suffering can and is still perpetuated by man through his freewill. Additionally, suffering and evil can be and is perpetuated in the world by Satan and his agents [Rev. 12:9], [2 Cor 10:3-6], [2 Cor 4:4]. Finally, there is also suffering that is as a result of natural evil [Matthew 24:7].

So, God is good, all-knowing, all-powerful, sovereign. Yet He allows suffering?! Why??!!!

I know. This can be a hard truth to digest, sometimes. Especially, when we consider the level of suffering most people go through; around us, in different parts of the world. Even in our own personal lives…

It is true that God is absolutely sovereign and in control of everything; governing every minute detail throughout history to the present time and the future. This is affirmed multiple times throughout scripture:

11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. [1 Chronicles 29:11] (ESV).

15 which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” [1 Timothy 6:15] (ESV).

19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all. [Psalm 103:19] (NASB)

And so many other scriptural references – [Psalm 115:3, Dan. 4:35, Deut. 32:39, Exodus 4:11, Psalm 105:16, 2 Kings 17:25, Matthew 11, Job 23:13, Psalm 33, Lamentations 3:37-38, et al]

God is also very much immanent [Job 12:10]. 

The truth is, we will not always know why God allows suffering. We are finite and He is infinite and all knowing. Most times, we won’t ever know (perhaps until we meet Him face to face, we can ask Him, but I doubt we will as I’m sure all that glory will erase all our questions). But we can be confident that if God is good, loving, all knowing and sovereign, then the reason behind the ‘why’, must also be good. 

It takes faith to believe this and it takes trust in Him; who He is, to accept this. This isn’t always easy but as His beloved, we have the Holy Spirit to help us and bear witness to this. 

How can I deal with my suffering?

It’s important to acknowledge that despite the truth of God’s goodness, suffering is very much real and is something that we all deal and will continuously deal with, until the Lord’s return. Let’s be honest, suffering isn’t fun. It is challenging and most times, difficult to deal with. But here’s a possible way to: 

“My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore, I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar”. [Psalm 42:3-6]

Pour out your soul to God: 

Just like the Psalmist, acknowledge your suffering, acknowledge your feelings and pour them out to God. Tell God exactly how you feel. Prayer is communication with God. A lot of the times, when we go through challenges, we withdraw from God and we don’t feel like praying. I believe one of the reasons behind this most times, is because we have a slight misconception about prayer – you don’t always have to be “prim and proper” in your approach. Same way, you call a close friend to express how you feel, is the same way you can talk to God in prayer. Telling God, you don’t feel like praying, is prayer. Let’s normalise being honest and vulnerable in our prayers, especially during challenges. He sees it all, He knows it all (even before we confess it) and He understands. God can handle your emotions. The best place to lay it all bare, is in the presence of the good good Father. 

Self-dialogue: 

The Psalmist proceeds to talk to Himself. I love this because He does it in a such a way that is far from introspection and morbidity. A lot of the times when we go through challenges, we allow our own thoughts to talk us. An interesting concept about Rationale Emotive therapy/cognitive therapy suggests that “your feelings are not as the result of what happens to you but the result of you tell yourself of what’s happening to you” – I thought this was interesting. We must take the approach of the Psalmist and learn to speak to ourselves; reminding ourselves of the truth of God’s Word and who He is when we go through challenges. This is in no way advocating stoicism – our feelings are valid. However, they are fickle and we ought to remind ourselves of the truth. 

Re-order your hopes:

 Just like the Psalmist, forget not all the Lord’s benefits [Psalm 103]. 

Look back at the cross – Jesus suffered and died that we might have life abundantly – fellowship with God, spiritual blessings, and even the grace, joy and power to endure suffering through the Holy Spirit [2 Cor. 5:21, Romans 8:26, Romans 5:3-5]. Indeed, we are rich in Him. “The gospel is not only the gateway into the Christian life, but the pathway of the Christian life. As a believer, you need to remember and recount the gospel to remind yourself of your relationship with Jesus”. Make this a daily habit.

Look into now – remember all the benefits and privilege you have as an adopted child and friend of God [1 Peter 1:3-12]. 

Look forward to – the hope of glory, our inheritance as children of God when the Lord returns and the restoration of all we have lost and endured [Revelation 21:4]. 

Reach out to someone: 

We are all members of one body and are called to bear each other’s burden. Speak to someone. God works through various means, including people.

To the person reading this and thinking, “This is nice, but she doesn’t understand”. You’re right, I probably don’t. But God does. Although it might not make sense right now, God is with you even amid the storm. In fact, He is the one sustaining you in it. He sees you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. I pray for the grace, as you read this, to believe this truth and to trust in who God says He is in Jesus name. God is good, even when you don’t feel like it and when situations seem to affirm otherwise.

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. [Isaiah 43:1-2] (ESV)

4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. [1 John 4:4] (NASB)

References

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