Understanding Suffering: Finding Hope in Pain

Today’s focus is on one of the most difficult and personal questions we can ask: If God is good, why do we suffer? This is not just a philosophical puzzle, but a deeply emotional and personal struggle that every believer faces at some point. The question is not simply “Why is there suffering?” but “Why am I suffering?”—and in those moments, intellectual answers often feel hollow next to the weight of real pain.

To approach this, we explored three perspectives: the philosopher, the pastor, and the friend. Philosophically, we considered five theodicies—ways Christians have tried to understand why a good God allows suffering. The free will theodicy reminds us that God created us for relationship, and real love requires real choice, which means the possibility of choosing wrongly and thus, suffering. The fallen world theodicy points to the brokenness introduced by sin, not just Adam and Eve’s, but our own ongoing choices. The best possible world theodicy suggests that God, in His omniscience and goodness, created the world with the best balance of freedom and goodness possible. The soul-making theodicy teaches that suffering can shape us, forging Christlike character and maturity. Finally, the redemptive suffering theodicy assures us that God can bring good out of even the worst pain, redeeming our suffering for His purposes.

But God’s answer is not just intellectual. He steps into our pain. Jesus, God in the flesh, experienced suffering, betrayal, loss, and death. He knows what it is to hurt, and He walks with us in our pain. His suffering purchased for us an eternal hope—a future where every tear will be wiped away, and pain will be no more. In the meantime, we are invited to run to God, not from Him, in our suffering. Like Asaph in Psalm 73, we may not understand, but in God’s presence, we find strength, perspective, and hope.

Finally, we need friends—people who will simply be present with us in our pain, not offering easy answers, but sharing our burdens. Sometimes, the most Christlike thing we can do is to sit with someone in their suffering, weep with them, and remind them they are not alone.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Suffering is not just an intellectual problem but a deeply personal one. The question of “Why do I suffer?” often cannot be answered by logic alone, because pain is experienced in the heart, not just the mind. Before offering answers, we must feel the weight of the question and acknowledge the reality of our pain. [05:36]
• 2. God’s gift of free will means that love and relationship are possible, but so is suffering. The risk of allowing us to choose is worth it to God, because only in freedom can genuine love and goodness exist. Our choices—and the choices of others—have real consequences, and the brokenness of the world is a result of humanity’s ongoing misuse of that freedom. [12:41]
• 3. Suffering, while never pleasant, can be transformative. If we allow it, pain can produce patience, maturity, and Christlikeness in us. The most Christlike people are often those who have been refined by suffering, not ruined by it; God does not waste our pain, but uses it to shape us for His purposes. [23:40]
• 4. God does not stand apart from our suffering; He steps into it. In Jesus, God experienced the full range of human pain and loss, and so He is able to comfort us with true understanding. Our suffering is not meaningless—Jesus’ suffering brought about our redemption, and He promises a future where all pain will be wiped away. [32:28]
• 5. In seasons of suffering, the most important response is not to run from God, but to run to Him. Like Asaph, we may not understand why we suffer, but in God’s presence we find strength, perspective, and hope. And sometimes, what we need most is not an answer, but a friend who will simply be with us, sharing our burdens and reminding us we are not alone. [41:14]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [01:28] - Technical Difficulties and Introduction
• [02:43] - The Hardest Question: Why Suffering?
• [04:47] - Suffering in Scripture: David and Habakkuk
• [05:36] - The Personal Nature of Suffering
• [07:31] - Three Approaches: Philosopher, Pastor, Friend
• [09:19] - The Free Will Theodicy
• [12:41] - C.S. Lewis and the Risk of Free Will
• [15:14] - The Fallen World Theodicy
• [18:35] - The Best Possible World Theodicy
• [21:27] - The Soul-Making Theodicy
• [24:40] - The Redemptive Suffering Theodicy
• [28:12] - God Steps Into Our Pain: The Story of Father Damien
• [30:08] - Jesus, Our Suffering Savior
• [32:28] - Suffering and Eternal Hope
• [35:36] - Suffering: Roadblock or Fork in the Road?
• [37:24] - Asaph’s Honest Struggle and God’s Presence
• [41:14] - Finding Strength in God’s Presence
• [43:21] - The Ministry of Friendship in Suffering
• [45:10] - Invitation to Receive Prayer and Friendship
• [46:53] - Closing Prayer and Worship

Observation Questions

1. In Psalm 73, what emotions does Asaph express about his suffering and the prosperity of others? ([37:24])
2. According to James 1:2-4, what is the intended outcome of facing “many kinds of trouble”? ([21:27])
3. In Romans 8:28, what does Paul say God does with “all things” for those who love Him? ([24:40])
4. The sermon described five different “theodicies” or ways Christians have tried to understand suffering. Can you name at least two of them? ([09:19])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why do you think Asaph’s perspective changed when he entered God’s presence, even though his circumstances didn’t immediately change? ([38:44])
2. The sermon said that suffering can be “transformative” and produce Christlike character. How does this idea challenge or encourage you? ([23:40])
3. The “free will theodicy” suggests that God allows us to choose, even if it leads to suffering. Why might God value our freedom to choose, even knowing the risks? ([12:41])
4. The sermon mentioned that sometimes what we need most in suffering is not an answer, but a friend. Why is presence sometimes more powerful than words? ([43:21])

Application Questions

1. The sermon said that suffering is not just an intellectual problem but a deeply personal one. When you have faced suffering, did you want answers, comfort, or something else? How did you respond? ([05:36])
2. Think about a time when you or someone you know made a choice that led to pain. How does the idea of “free will” help you process that experience? ([12:41])
3. James says that trials can produce patience and maturity if we “let” them. Is there a current struggle in your life where you need to let God use it to grow you? What would that look like? ([22:49])
4. The sermon described how Jesus stepped into our pain and understands suffering. How does knowing that Jesus suffered change the way you approach your own pain? ([32:28])
5. Asaph found strength and hope in God’s presence, even when he didn’t have answers. What are some practical ways you can seek God’s presence in your own season of suffering? ([41:14])
6. The sermon emphasized the importance of friends who simply “sit with us” in our pain. Is there someone in your life who needs you to be that kind of friend right now? What could you do for them this week? ([43:21])
7. The message ended with the idea that God can redeem our pain and use it for good. Can you think of a time when God brought something good out of a painful situation in your life? How might you share that story to encourage someone else? ([24:40])