Why Does God Allow Suffering?

This question is rarely abstract. Most people ask it from a place of pain—personal loss, injustice, illness, or grief. Scripture does not dismiss this question, nor does it answer it with shallow formulas.

The Bible reveals one God—the Father—who is good and powerful, and yet who allows a world where suffering is real. Understanding this requires holding several biblical truths together without turning God into either a cruel author of pain or a helpless observer.

Suffering is not portrayed as God’s delight

“For he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.”

Lamentations 3:33

Scripture is clear: God does not enjoy suffering. It does not portray Him as eager to harm, nor as teaching primarily through pain. When suffering happens, we should not assume it is God’s pleasure—or that He needed it in order to be good.

A world shaped by real choices

Much suffering in Scripture is directly connected to human choices—violence, injustice, neglect, and sin. This is not accidental language; it reflects a world where freedom is real, and where love is not coerced.

“Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.”

James 1:14

If human choices are real, their consequences are real as well. Scripture consistently treats suffering as something that arises within a broken world—not something God meticulously scripts moment by moment. God can work within what humans do, but that is not the same as God causing it.

God’s nearness to the suffering

While Scripture does not say God causes all suffering, it repeatedly says that God draws near to those who suffer. He is not distant from the brokenhearted.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

God’s nearness does not erase pain instantly, but it changes what pain means. The Bible presents the Father as attentive, compassionate, and responsive—hearing cries, strengthening the weak, and calling His people to endure with hope.

The cross as God’s clearest response

Christianity does not answer suffering with theory alone. It points to the cross—where the Father gave and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, and where Jesus willingly entered into human suffering and carried it faithfully.

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.”

Isaiah 53:4

The cross does not explain every instance of suffering, but it reveals God’s posture toward it: compassion, mercy, and a redemptive purpose. God did not remain far off—He acted, He gave, and He raised His Son, showing that suffering and death are not final.

Why God allows suffering—for now

Scripture suggests that God allows suffering for a time because:

• Human freedom is real
• Love cannot be coerced
• Justice requires moral responsibility
• Redemption is still unfolding

The promise that suffering is not final

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.”

Revelation 21:4

Scripture does not promise that suffering will always make sense now. It promises that suffering will not have the final word. God will judge rightly, heal fully, and restore what has been broken.

A gentle conclusion

If you are suffering, Scripture does not demand that you explain it. It invites you to bring it honestly before God—the Father—who is near, attentive, and committed to restoration.

God allows suffering in a broken world, but He does not abandon those who endure it. And in Jesus Christ, His Son, we see what faithful love looks like under sorrow—and the hope of resurrection beyond it.