Every true follower of Christ will go through trials and hardships. And if you are like me, you may have wondered if we committed some sin, or if God is angry at us for some reason. Some of us have even questioned if God had forsaken us or forgotten us. We reckon from scripture that God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us, and even when we sin, He still deals with us as children. But emotionally, it can be a different process.
There are those who would insist that God is too good to allow true believers to suffer without a cause. The belief is that Christians only suffer if they commit some sin or somehow open the door to the devil. But God’s Word is clear that GOD ALLOWS RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE TO SUFFER. Even Jesus suffered unjustly. Certainly, He did not sin, and He is our example in suffering (1 Peter 2:20-23). If they persecuted Him, they would do the same to His followers (Matthew 10:25). Although it is true that many people suffer as a result of personal wrongdoing, it cannot be denied that many believers undergo hardship through no fault of their own. The Bible clearly allows for such a reality, and God permits it. Job was a righteous man who suffered for no direct fault of his own, only because a sovereign God allowed it to be so. The important question is not whether the righteous suffer, but why.
God sees from an eternal perspective as we tend to see from a present one.
Although God is interested in our earthly welfare, He is far more concerned about our eternal destiny. His greatest act of love was to offer salvation to lost people, not health, wealth, and prosperity, though He may at times grant such things. This helps us understand why He allowed the apostles and early Christians to suffer and even be martyred. From an earthly perspective it appeared as abandonment, yet from an eternal perspective they were received into everlasting glory, which is far better than enjoying temporary comfort on earth (Philippians 1:21). Much of what we call suffering is therefore not seen the same way from God’s perspective.
God uses suffering and hardship to produce in us godly character.
The Bible says that Job was perfect and upright, not sinless before God, but blameless before men. Through suffering, God exposed pride and self dependency hidden within Job’s heart (Job 42:3-6). This was not the direct cause of his suffering, yet God used hardship to refine him (Job 42:10,12). The New Testament confirms that trials test and mature faith, producing endurance and spiritual growth (James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6-7). This is an integral part of our progressive sanctification.
Suffering keeps us dependent on God.
Human nature quickly forgets that every good gift comes from God (James 1:16-17). Over time, people begin to rely on their own strength, possessions, or abilities and even self-righteousness. Scripture reminds us that it is God who gives the power to gain wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Suffering humbles us and restores proper dependence upon the Lord, reminding us that life itself is sustained by His mercy.
Our personal sufferings are a source of encouragement to others.
God works not only within one life but across generations. Hebrews 12:1 calls believers to run with endurance, remembering the faithful witnesses of Hebrews 11 whose perseverance strengthens us even now. Likewise, the sufferings of the apostles and early Christians continue to encourage the church (Jude 3). The testimony of martyrs throughout history has strengthened countless believers. Job’s endurance became a lasting witness that continues to encourage Christians today (James 5:11). What Satan intended for destruction became a testimony that builds faith in others. Our own trials may serve the same purpose for believers we may never meet.
Our Attitude
Therefore, the response of the righteous to suffering should not be bitterness or resentment. If suffering results from personal sin, repentance is necessary. Otherwise, our prayer must move beyond merely asking for escape and instead submitting to God’s will, saying, “Thy will be done.” The Lord’s answer remains the same: “My grace is sufficient for thee.”
The Christian does not suffer alone, nor without purpose. We share in the sufferings of Christ so that we may also share in His glory (Romans 8:17). Through trials God conforms us to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29), teaching us to trust not in temporary relief but in eternal redemption. The cross itself stands as the clearest proof that suffering under God’s hand is never meaningless. The One who suffered most unjustly accomplished the greatest good, and those united in Christ walk the same path, sustained by His grace, strengthened by the hope we have in Him, empowered and enabled by the Holy Spirit to respond in yielding to His will and assured that present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed (Romans 8:18).
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