The Problem of Pain

"He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering and familiar with pain."  Isaiah 53:3a

"They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.  And they began to call out to him,  'Hail, king of the Jews!'  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.  Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him.  They they led him out to crucify him."  Mark 15:17-20.

Why does a good and loving God allow us to have suffering and pain in this world?  This is an age old dilemma.  There are several reasons.  For one, He uses these things to test us, to show us where we are in our spiritual walk.  Also, if everything was always well in our world, we would become proud and self-sufficient and would not seek God.  Hard times humble us and press us close to our Heavenly Father.  There are lessons we learn in tough times that we would never consider when things are going our way.  Sometimes God uses difficulties to redirect our steps, to turn us in a more desirable direction.  Hard times are a background that showcase the depth of our faith for others to see and, hopefully, be drawn to God.  Romans 8:3 gives us another reason why God allows suffering.  This verse says,  "...we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Recently I have seen another reason why God allows people to suffer.  If we had never felt suffering and pain and sorrow and humiliation and isolation, we would never be able to understand or appreciate what Jesus experienced on the cross on our behalf.  We can begin to identify with His pain and grief when we have experienced pain and grief ourselves.  When we can relate to His suffering, it helps us realize what a terribly high price our sin cost Jesus and how very much God loves us.

Father, Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross--for forgiveness and mercy which were made possible by Your suffering and grief.  May we always appreciate and be thankful for what You have done for us.  Amen.