Why Does A Loving God Allow Suffering?
“…And yet I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.”(1 Corinthians 12:31-13:3)
With all the hatred, violence, and terrorism that we see in the world, it seems that many have lost respect for the sanctity of life. The shooting and bombing of the innocent, justified by a deceived sense of righteousness and justice, reveal an absence of our most basic core value: that we were created to live by LOVE. The evil of terrorism seeks to control us through fear, but perfect love drives out all fear (1 John 4:18).
This brings up a dichotomy regarding how a God who loves the world can allow evil and suffering to exist. These are tough questions, but for me, it comes back to the fundamental understanding of love. Love cannot be forced on another; it is offered and then awaits a response. In other words, love allows the other a “free will choice.” Receiving the gospel is a choice, not a command. This acknowledges the right of an individual to choose Jesus or not. God‘s desire is that all will be saved, but not all will use their free will choice to accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus. However, to violate our choice, would violate God’s nature of unconditional “agape” love. The free will choice that God has given us is the most powerful demonstration of His love. His love for you will never control, manipulate or dominate.
If we reject God, we reject the One who guides us in the ways of love. If we choose to live according to our selfish and sinful nature, ultimately we will not make choices for others but for our own self-protective and self-serving needs. If this lifestyle goes unchecked, we will violate and hurt those around us. As a result, families, communities, cities - even nations - are often shaped by people who are responding out of selfishness, hurt, and offense. The choices made from greed and pain cause others to suffer and may even cause the victim to seek justice and revenge – thus causing more suffering. When relationships are shaped by sin and brokenness, the fruit will not be good. Society becomes divided and our world is broken.
However, God continually seeks to woo us with His love. When He created the world, it was to be a gift for humankind, an expression of the freedom that He wanted humanity to have to rule and reign over all of creation. Loving God, and allowing His agape love to manifest in your life, will result in the release of life, hope and blessing to the world around you. The nature of love will always produce the fruit of joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Love will empower you to move with greater faith, hope, and a desire to love and serve others even more. That is why Jesus went to the Cross, so you could choose Him and know the power of His love in your life.
Every action we take begins with a choice, and what fuels that decision will determine the future of your life, relationships, and the culture around you. Love requires a choice. When you choose Jesus, then you are choosing the way of love. It’s a choice to overcome your selfish, sinful nature and allow His love to transform your heart. It is said often that Jesus is the solution to the world’s problems. When you begin to comprehend the height, depth, length and width of God’s agape love, you will realize what the world could be like when it is fuelled by this amazing sacrificial love. Your choice today, to love as God loves, can be part of a growing movement that will bring a positive transformation to the world around you. Here we can discover the truth of Paul’s words at the end of 1 Corinthians 12, “Now I want to show you the most excellent way…” and discover the way of love he described in chapter 13.
