Every single human being that walks on earth knows what it's like to suffer. We all have suffered loss, pain, depression, hopelessness and lack. We are often left to wonder, "If God is a loving God, why is there so much suffering in this world?"
When the attack on 9/11 happened, this question rang all across America, and it was the wife of Rick Warren I believe who said, "We have taken God out of our schools, government offices and judiciary systems, and when something bad happens we wonder where He is. God isn't there because we have kept Him out."
Can man really keep a powerful and almighty God out? Yes he can. The one way we keep God out is our sin. You see, although God is all powerful, He is also all holy and cannot co-exist with sin. God is also all loving and desires to honor our free will so when we choose to abandon God, He hides his face.
The reason why there is suffering in this world is not because God isn't loving, but because we are all sinful. Our love for sin has set us far from God's hand. The biggest lie that so many believers face today is that sin isn't a big deal. God makes it clear that sin is a big deal. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Because there is so much sin in the world, there is suffering, but because of God's grace through the cross, there is hope outside of suffering because Jesus conquered sin and death. Because death could not hold Him down, we have the assurance that Jesus has won the fight for our souls.
John 5:24 tells us, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life."
Jesus came to earth to negate all suffering and pain. So what do we tell Christian parents whose baby daughter dies of leukemia? Was Jesus's sacrifice not enough to remove the sickness from her body? It's ironic how we look at the temporal and earthly suffering but fail to remember that after death comes eternal life with so much joy and peace that it wipes out all earthly sorrow.
The resurrection of Jesus was a historical event that sent shockwaves all across eternity, now proclaiming that God's grace is near. In John 16:33, Jesus said, "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
What Jesus is saying here is that suffering will always be there, but peace is now a choice we can make. We can choose to live in fear of temporal suffering or in the blessed peace and assurance that in the long run -- both here on earth and for eternity -- Jesus has won over all pain and suffering.
