When trouble of any sort comes to us, our first response is to ask, “Why?” Death, disease, deformity, and accidents perplex all of us.
There is no one easy answer as to why people suffer, but several possible explanations are given in the Bible.
1. Judgment for sin. Some suffering comes as punishment for sin. This is the oldest and most common explanation for suffering. This is not the cause of all or even most suffering, but it is the reason for some of it.
2. Chastisement from God. Some suffering comes from God, not to punish us but to discipline us and to teach us. Since God loves us, he must like a father correct us when we do wrong. God often uses troubles and difficulties to teach us what we otherwise will not learn.
3. Attacks from Satan. The most logical explanation for suffering is often overlooked. It is that suffering comes from Satan in an effort to destroy our faith. The Bible abounds with illustrations of this fact. So when trouble comes to you or someone you love, be sure you blame the right person. Instead of asking, “Why has God done this to me?” you might ought to ask, “Why has Satan done this to me?” And if you wonder, “What have I done to deserve this?” the answer might well be, “Nothing! Nothing at all!” Much suffering is the work of Satan to drive God’s people to despair and doubt. God chastens his children to make them better. Satan attacks us to make us bitter.
4. Free will. Another explanation for suffering is our free will. God created us so that we are free to make our own choices. We are even free to sin. If we make the wrong choices we often suffer for them. Don’t blame God for the wrong choices you or someone else makes. Blame the person who made the choice. God can only be blamed for creating us free to choose.
5. World in travail. When Adam and Eve sinned, all of creation was cursed. As a result our whole world is infected with sin, leaving the state of the world as bad as the state of humanity. Much suffering then is simply the price we pay for living in a world like this—a world under the curse of sin.
You may never know why you are going through troubles and trials. But do know this: God will help you through them if you will trust him.