Why is there evil and suffering?

I have been meaning to start a blog for some time now but simply haven’t taken the time to do it. Plus, to be honest, I’ve wondered if anyone would read it or be interested in the ramblings of a Baptist pastor from South Central Kentucky. But today someone I respect came through the door I was at after church and said something that at the time seemed fairly random. This man said “For what it’s worth the Lord told me for you to put this message on Facebook.” I contemplated over lunch whether I would do that and exactly how it might take shape if I did. The end result (besides a headache) of my thinking about this and pondering if I should do it, the end result is the formation of this blog.

I’m sure there are going to be times when you read one of my posts and scratch your head and say “That’s it, the boy has flat lost his mind.” Heck, there are days when I read something I’ve written or said and wonder the same about me. But that just seems to affirm the fact that God has a sense of humor.

This morning, I attempted what I think is actually impossible apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. I tried in one message to answer the question of why there is evil and suffering in our world. With a God that is all powerful, all wise, all loving, and inherently good, why is there such rampant evil in the world in which we live? I’ll be honest with you up front and admit that I don’t have the complete answer to that question but I do want to write a bit about what the Lord showed me.

A couple of years ago our family had left after dark one night to head toward South Carolina to see our daughter where she was attending college. We had found some back roads that shave about 30 minutes off the trip, roads that stop us from having to go through Nashville. That particular night there was a lot of fog and it was difficult to see very far in front of you. Outside Hartsville, Tn a car pulled out in front of us headed in the same direction and the tail lights were amazing. I found that as long as I kept that car in front of me and could see its tail lights, that driver was actually guiding me through the windy roads. I tell you that because I think that pain and suffering tend to obscure our view of God. We don’t “see” Him clearly, especially when we are in the midst of a trial. But God in His words has provided some “tail lights”, some pieces of truth, that if we will look to them will guide us through the fog of our pain.

I’m sure there are many ways that God uses pain and suffering in our life. I don’t believe He’s the “author” of that pain and suffering but rather that He can use it for His glory. I think there are three primary ways, at least in my life, that God has used pain and suffering. First, I think God uses pain and suffering to bring others to Christ. One look at prayer meetings across our nation the Wednesday evening after 9/11 show that pain and suffering has a way of bringing people to Christ. Second, I think God uses pain and suffering to build character. Character is not primarily built from blessing but rather from adversity. Finally, I think that God uses pain and suffering to correct His children. At times when we stray God will use some painful event in our life to draw us back to Him. The times I have faced His chastening have never been “pleasant” but always have been necessary. When I was a small child my grandfather used to make me go outside and pick the switch that he was going to whip me with. I found out something pretty quickly that also has a remarkable spiritual application. Logic would tell you that when you are getting whipped to get as far away from the switch and the one swinging as possible. But the lesson I learned is it always hurt worse the further I stood from grandpa. I found that the closer I got to the one giving the whipping (my grandfather in this case) the less it hurt. So here’s the spiritual application, when God is chastening you, the closer you get to Him during the process, the less it will hurt.

So what are the “fog lights” from the Word of God I referenced earlier. I mentioned four this morning in the message. First, while God is not the author of our pain and human suffering, he can and does use it for His glory. God took the most horrendous event of human history, the cross, and made something beautiful from it (our salvation). Now if God can take the absolute worst event in human history and gain glory from it, surely He can gain glory from our pain as well. Second, we need to remember that one day all of this pain and suffering will be over. Many wonder why God doesn’t end it now in light of the great suffering around the world. The only answer I find is that He is longsuffering not willing that any should perish (see 2 Peter 3:9). Third, our suffering pales in comparison to what blessings God has planned for us. We cannot begin to even imagine how wonderful heaven will be (see 1 Corinthians 2:9). Fourth, and I’m convinced this is a difficult one, is that pain and suffering will make us either bitter or better. When we experience pain, we all become “runners.” Some will run to God and some run from Him, but pain never leaves us standing still.

So what’s the bottom line? There’s one reason and one reason alone we live in a world filled with such pain and suffering … sin. We live in a fallen world that will never be “right” until the Lord returns.

As long as He tarries or leaves me here, I hope to continue to figure out ways to live right in a wrong world. It will not be easy but it’s what God’s called us to do. Until next time … peace.

Bro Tom