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Where IsGod
When People Suffer?
When people are enduring painful disease, where is God? Is He pleased with intense pain and
suffering? Isn't it time we understood the reason for these tragic experiences?
M
y
AUNT HELEN recentlydied
of cancer. While she was
lying on her dealh bed in a
California hospital suffering from lhis
most dreaded disease, 1 wrole her a
letter from England.
It
helped to
encourage her duringwhat was proba–
bly lheseverest lrialof her life.
Since it may also help readers now
in similar circumstances, or who may
have to experience suffering in the
future, J publish this letter for all to
read and benefit:
" Dear Aunt Heleo,
" 1 meanl lo write before now, but
various distractions kept cropping
up. 1havc been concerned about your
health and well-being and have been
thinking about you during these past
few weeks.
" 1 have also been thinking about
the subject of pain and suffering
since it is a subject on the minds of
many people. In my job here in
Britain of answering letters from
readers of
The Plain Truth,
1 have
had to help peoplc understand why
there is so much suffering in this
world. The Bible, of course, tells us
much about it. 1recently carne across
a very good book enti tled
Wh ere
is
God When lt Hurts?
by Philip Yan–
cey. 1think it would be helpful to you
toread.
"When we see people suffering
from various afflictions, we must
realize that this is not a perfect
world. Mankind often has to suffer
from horrible diseases. Many mil–
lions have died in warfare, which
isn' t pleasant either. Others die of
starvation. Why do sorne have a
pleasant death and others a tragic
one? It 's a matter of time, chance
and circumstances.
"As Philip Yancey says, suffering
involves two main issues: 1) who or
whal caused the discomfort , sickness
May 1980
by
Aobect Boraker
or accident, and 2) the person's
response to iL
"To the extent individuals concen–
trate on lhe cause, they may well end
up embiltered against God. The book
of Job poses the question, 'Who
causes pain?' Bul God chose, in His
deliberation with Job, to sideslep the
issue. All the way through, the Bible
steers from the issue of pain to lhe
issue of response. Think of what a
world it would be if we injured
ourselves, yet felt no pain? When
pain and suffering have happened,
each individual must decide whal he
will do. He should ask himself: ' How
should 1 react now that this terrible
lhing has happened?'
"Paul wrote concerning the psy–
chological pain that developed after
he sent a strongly worded letter to
the Christians in Corinth: 'Even if 1
did wound you by the letter 1 sent, 1
do not now regret it. 1may have been
sorry for it when 1saw that lhe letter
had caused you pain, even if only for
a time; but now 1 am happy, not that
your feeli ngs were wounded but that
the wound led to a change of heart.
You bore the smart as God would
have you bear it, and so you are no
losers by whal we did. For the wound
which is borne in God's way brings a
change of hearl too salula ry to
regret; but the hurt which is borne in
lhe world's way brings death. You
bore your hurt in God's way, and see
what its results have been!
lt
made
you take the matter seriously and
vindicate yourselves. How angered
you were, how apprehensive! How
your Jonging forme awoke, yes, and
your devotion and your eagerness lo
see juslice done. At every poinl you
have cleared yourselves of blame in
lhis trouble' (Il Corinthians 7:8-11,
New English Bible) .
"Pain and suffering can turn
people to God. Many people have
been converted as the result of going
lhrough a crisis in their lives. Suffer–
ing produces something. It is of value
in changing us. lt produces faith,
perseverance, pat ience, righteous
character (1 Peter 1:5-7; James 1:2-
4; John 9:1-3; Romans 8:28, 29; 5:5).
We can become better persons be–
cause of suffering if our response is
right.
"The experience of suffering from
agony or seeing others suffer is
indeed not pleasant. Perhaps God
allows it to bappen to encourage us to
think more seriously about life and
lhe future. We need to see what good
God can accomplish as the result of
lhe lragic experience.
"Where is God when it burts?
Philip Yancey gives this conclusion
in his book:
"'He has been there from the
beginning, designing a pain system
that still in the midst of a ... rebel–
lious world, bears the stamp of His
genius and equips us for life on this
planet.
" 'He has watched us reftect His
image, carving out great works of art,
launching mighty adventures, living
out this earth in a mixture of pain
and pleasure when the two so closely
coalesce lhey sometimes become
almost indistinguishable.
" ' He has Jet us cry out and echo
Job with louder and harsher fils of
anger againsl Him, blaming Him for
a world we spoiled ...
"'He has promised supernatural
slrenglh to nourish our spirit, even if
our physical suffering goes unre–
lieved.
"'He has joined us. He has hurt
and bled and cried and suffered. He
has dignified for all time tbose who
suffer by sharing their pain.
"'He is with us now, ministering
to us through His Spirit and through
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