Why we suffer, what the Bible says
The suffering that befalls people is caused by the sin that prevails on earth. A world without sin, would be a paradise of eternal happiness.
The media report almost daily on violence, misery, murder, etc. A person murders another human being in a bestial way, beforehand inflicting unimaginable pain. During wars, whole families are killed, the perpetrators take pleasure in the harm done. The minds of such people are possessed by Satan, no normal person takes pleasure in cruelty. Every day scammers and crooks prey on people's poverty. Most employers take advantage of unemployment and treat people like emotionless robots. Fraud in companies is at every step, it has become almost mandatory. It has come to the point where there is a belief that one must steal, and one who is honest is called abnormal and stupid.
People harm themselves, cause harm and destroy lives. The evil that befalls us is caused by the other person. The question arises, why doesn't God always protect us from the other, if He has the ability to do so?
God wants man to make decisions, to have free will. We have exactly what society has produced, which is a violent world. This is solely the choice of man, who has yielded to Satan. If God were to intervene in every misfortune, we would become puppets who cannot do anything themselves. It is humanity that chooses pain and suffering instead of living in a world of peace and beauty.
God warns that this world will be destroyed when the measure of sin overflows. We are living in a time when the entire universe is engaged in a battle between good and evil. This is the period needed for all angels and beings to fully understand the nature of sin. During the rebellion in heaven, 1/3 of the angels chose Satan's side. We do not know how many angels were unsure whether to stay with God and what guided them in their choice. Angels are beings who live together with the Lord, and yet some of them allowed themselves to be deceived. If God had immediately destroyed evil, the angels would not have understood this and would have given glory to the Lord not out of love, but out of fear of death. Perhaps to fully love God, one must first see what sin is?
Suffering beyond our control
However, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, natural disasters happen on earth. Children are born with severe diseases. These are conditions that are not always directly influenced by man. So why, in this case too, does God not always protect us?
Many disasters are caused by man's destruction of the environment. A large number of sick children, are born because of their parents and the world. It's not God who eats unhealthy food, it's not He who modifies and fertilizes with chemicals, it's not God who caused the creation of the atomic bomb, it's man who is responsible for diseases, using chemicals that negatively affect humans in almost everything. But what about disasters beyond our control?
These are sufferings to help us return to God, to see that something is wrong in our lives. God tries in every possible way, to draw us to Himself, but it must be our will. Suffering sometimes causes a person to reflect on his life, in some cases there is even a complete change. Sometimes it is necessary to fall in order to be able to rise again. There are many people who through suffering have converted and entrusted their lives to the Lord.
During the Final Judgment, we won't be able to tell Jesus that he didn't try to help us. God does it every day, the problem is that we reject that help.
Jesus also suffered
It is also very important that suffering did not bypass our Savior Jesus Christ. If one thinks that God looks down on us and does not want to help, the life of Jesus contradicts this view. God the Father, seeing how His Son was treated, suffered with Him, and yet He did not stop what was happening to Him. What parent, seeing their child being abused, would not stop the act? God could, but for our salvation He did not. His heart must have bled, but love was more important. Jesus experienced the same pain as we do, if there was a better way for our salvation without suffering surely God would have chosen it. Thanks to Jesus' suffering, we can be sure that there is no better way, and suffering although we don't want it, will accompany us for the rest of our life and that of this world. It will disappear only after the destruction of evil, but for that we still have to wait. God could end it today, but He does not do so until the measure of evil is completed, with each day more souls arrive for salvation.
However, people whose hearts are filled with great love for the Lord also suffer, or children who don't even know what is right and wrong. Jesus said that we suffer then so that the glory of the Lord may be revealed. A sick child, can be a reason for parents to start praying for health, and thus get closer to God. Perhaps through this, they will accept the Creator into their hearts.
The sufferings of those who "have a heart full of love for the Lord" can be helpful to those who have weak faith and are quickly discouraged. It is quite easy to believe when everything is going well, but as soon as misfortune comes, we become discouraged and our heart turns away. But what if we see, a person who, despite suffering and pain, still praises God and is able to enjoy life? This will help many people get through moments of doubt and see that it is still possible to love God no matter what we face.
Summary: Suffering on earth is caused by Satan through the given temptations of people. The Lord cannot create an invisible protection over believers and make them invulnerable. What would such a world look like? Believers could not be harmed and the evil ones would be devastated? Would faith in God then be from the heart and love, or would it be directed by the goal of gain? The price of freedom on earth is suffering. It will be ended at the second coming of Jesus.
James 1.2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."
