Ouch.

Even as a naïve child, I could perceive that the human world was one of ignorance, crime, and war, where innocent people suffered. Bad things did happen to good people. Why? I also could see a significant amount of good, but I could not ignore the fact that it was a warped world, a place where many people were driven by evil intentions, wrong thinking, and violence - resulting in immense suffering. Then there were nature's catastrophes - floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc. What purpose could there be in so much suffering? I eventually discovered that when one is in its midst, the question of suffering is too distracting to engage the intellect. When experiencing intense pain (whether emotional or physical), we only want one thing: for it to end. No rational explanations and certainly no platitudes are helpful in those moments. However, during our less anguished times, it is worthwhile to take a more objective and reasoned approach.

About Purpose

As a young man, I learned some of the deeper aspects of purpose from the writings of Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning). Dr. Frankl was an early psychoanalyst who spent considerable time as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps. He lived through some of the most brutal conditions that can be imagined. He observed that the extreme conditions affected apparently normal individuals in very different ways. The behavior of some people eventually regressed to acts of cruelty and betrayal for the sake of personal survival. Others became depressed and simply gave up. Some, however, became increasingly kind, sacrificing, and considerate of fellow prisoners and even of the Nazi guards. They endured unbelievable amounts of suffering and degradation with minimal complaint, often becoming martyrs. What accounted for these differences between individuals?

According to Frankl, the state of the prisoner's psyche was not primarily a result of the terrible situation but a result of whether or not that person found meaning and purpose in the midst of it. In that 'laboratory' of concentration camp life, he witnessed some of his comrades behave like swine while others behaved like saints. He discerned that we humans have both of these potentialities within us and which one is actualized depends more on inner attitude and decisions than on conditions. Frankl noticed that the better adjusted prisoners made decisions that were rooted in some kind of faith, including the belief in a purpose beyond themselves for their suffering and impending death.

Frankl's message was encouraging and supported my growing belief that positive purpose was intrinsic to the difficulties that confronted me in my own life. I also came to the realization that I could not create my own purpose, I could only discover it. Here was a paradox: my destiny was created by God but it also depended upon my choices and actions. I began working on developing an approach to life that may be expressed by the motto: if God hands you lemons, make lemonade. More than anything else, I was inspired by the first scripture passage that I ever deliberately memorized - Romans 8:28. Over time, I became much more optimistic and positive; years later a friend would accuse me of being "relentlessly upbeat."

As a clinical psychologist, I learned about the physiological aspects of pain. In his book The Gift of Pain, Paul Brand, M.D. explained that pain was the body's first response to trauma. Pain has a positive purpose, much like the warning lights on a car's dashboard; it is a signal that something is wrong; the message is that something needs to be done - immediately. It hurts not in order to be cruel and cause discomfort, but to demand a change in response to the danger of further trauma or death. I learned that patients with a disorder that prevents them from feeling pain are in a much worse condition, for they do not notice when something is seriously amiss in their bodies and therefore they die that much sooner. Pain has clear survival value.

Emotional suffering functions in a similar fashion. Psychologists know that denial of emotional pain leads to a much worse situation because the true source of distress has not been identified and treated. The early psychoanalyst Carl Jung regarded all of our neurotic defenses as methods to avoid legitimate suffering - and the changes required. Along with psychological defenses such as denial, repression, and projection, people can become addicted to dramatically venting their feelings and blaming others, thus never really resolving their issues or discovering how to deal with life's difficulties. As the psychiatrist M. Scott Peck emphasized in his still popular book The Road Less Traveled, we who live in successful industrial societies are spoiled and mistakenly expect life to be easy. We are not prepared for life's tribulations and thus suffer more when they come. Peck insisted that once we truly understand and accept the reality that life is difficult, then we can begin to transcend it. We can even learn to perceive benefits from our pain.

'PAIN' stayed so long, I said to him today,
"I will not have you with me anymore."
I stamped my feet and said, "Be on your way," and paused there startled at the look he wore.

"I, who have been your friend," he said to me, "I, who have been your teacher... all you know of patience, sympathy, and understanding, I have taught you. Shall I go?"

He spoke the truth, this strange unwelcome guest. I watched him leave and knew he'd made me wise. He left a heart grown tender in my breast, he left a far, clear vision in my eyes.

So I dried my tears and offered up a song... even for one who tortured me so long. – G. N. Crowell

The Forbearance of God

Some knowledge of God's purposes and divine forbearance is important for perspective here. The fact of original sin should always inform us: if we all received what we deserved, we would all be in hell right now... and forever. Therefore, our circumstances, however difficult, are always better than we deserve. People who are angry with God about their lot in life or who chronically complain are not in touch with this truth. How easy it is for Christians to forget this reality and start feeling sorry for ourselves. As my wife likes to say, it is OK to occasionally visit your pity porch, but it is miserable to live there.

What does scripture reveal about this issue? Remember that Adam and Eve clearly asked for it: they knew nothing but the good life until they chose to know evil as well. As a result of their deceived ignorance and their breakdown in trust, they sought the 'wisdom' that comes from witnessing and experiencing the worst that evil can dish out. I believe this was the 'fruit' stemming from the forbidden act. All who are reading this are living extensions (in the flesh) of these prototypical humans, and as such are receiving our lessons about the nature and consequences of evil. God never wanted human beings to suffer; He would have preferred that we trusted Him and heeded his warning to not stick our hands in the fire (even if it was pretty). But we hardheaded humans have to learn our lessons the hard way.

While a just and righteous God punishes evil behavior, rectifies injustice, and disciplines His beloved children, as a merciful God, He also provides forgiveness and a way out of ultimate condemnation. God shows that he is abounding in love by not leaving the human race in its condition of sin and separation. As the gospel proclaims, in Jesus Christ, God graciously became the Redeemer of mankind. Through Christ's death and resurrection, the way to eternal life was opened to all who turn away from sin and follow Him (see John 3:16, 14:6).

In the Book of Revelation, the Lord (through John) makes clear an important part of the Good News: evil and suffering and death (as well as everything that cause them) will eventually be eliminated. The ultimate solution arrived 2000 some years ago and He is working toward this goal through us. Evil and its consequences, in particular the suffering of God's people, are therefore temporary.

There are two great reasons why God is putting Judgment Day off: (1) God is patient and merciful. He is calling His lost sheep and withholding His hand of retributive justice until all who are so destined are born and have come into the fold. (2) In the crucible of our trials and tribulations ("the refiner's fire"), God is forming the character of His people. Scripture reveals much about the nature and plans of our God; His top priorities include the salvation and personal development of His bride, children, and friends. Tests are required.

One version of the free-will defense (FWD) made famous by Augustine, has been called the Soul Making Model (see John Hicks, et al). According to this view, we are incomplete souls in need of not only forgiveness but also transformation. Suffering and perhaps even evil are necessary conditions for a world in which we overcome obstacles in order to purify our souls, to develop our character, and to cause us to grow spiritually and psychologically. Such virtues as self-sacrifice, endurance, courage, and compassion are not possible unless we have trials and are required to deal with blatant evil. Many NT scriptures attest to this.

The potential value of our trials and tribulations has also been expressed in numerous folk sayings:
"There are no short cuts to any place worth going."
"He who has no battles will have no victories."
"The only difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them."
"Only the crushed grape yields the wine."

In my own life experience, I can confirm that my greatest growth in wisdom and maturity have resulted from times of greatest difficulty. As a young man, it turned out that I needed those days in the Tijuana jail and I profited greatly from U.S. military training ("boot camp") - although at the time I thoroughly hated it. These and other experiences of personal hardship not only curtailed some of my negative tendencies, they cracked the superficial crust of my personality and allowed me to discover life on a more meaningful level.

It is my theory that all of us have defensive crusts, baked hard from rejections, betrayals of trust, and habitual errors in our thinking. In my work as a psychotherapist, I often have observed how resentment and self-protection can block one's capacity to gain insight. But it all begins with personal pain; it is what I call "the suffering of Everyman":

He is deeply hurt; he struggles with self-pity, anger, and bitterness. Deep within, his soul is stretched - his trials, God's means of grace. Healing becomes possible, if only he allows it, if only he can let go and let God. But a clenched fist cannot receive, folded arms cannot embrace.

Sometimes it takes a major trauma to get our attention. In his famous quote from The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis may have described it best: "Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." Even a cursory examination of the Bible reveals that God uses this method with his favorites. The Book of Job, which many consider to be a thoroughly confusing morality play, is an obvious example, as well as the story of Joseph and his brothers in Genesis. Witness the historical circumstances of the Jews: enslaved by other cultures, wandering 40 years in the wilderness, exiled from their land a number of times, and more recently-the Nazi holocaust. Apparently God intends to shape His chosen people in spite of themselves and regardless of the short-term cost. Throughout the scriptures, we cannot avoid observing the propensity of God's prophets and saints to be persecuted and killed. If this is what it means to be favored by God, who would want it?

But perhaps we "cannot see the forest for the trees." In his book The Gift of the Jews, Thomas Cahill helpfully explains that the Jews were the first people in history to think outside of the box framed by the immutable cycles of nature. In ancient times, virtually all people believed and lived within the bounds of natural philosophy: 'the way it has been is the way it will always be.' However, with the Jewish people, something new was in the works. In their relationship with the divine, the Jews developed a sense of direction, destiny, and purpose. History was going somewhere and God had a plan for them; they would be moving in a particular direction and there would be a very good outcome. Cahill concluded that the modern idea of progress grew out of this innovative Jewish teleological perspective.

Note that at least one potential purpose for the intense suffering of the Jews has manifested in events since the holocaust. Throughout the history of mankind, such a thing has never been seen: a nation destroyed, its people scattered throughout the world, but then somehow returning to its ancient homeland - and becoming inordinately successful. No wonder other nations are jealous. Discipline, properly administered, produces character, courage, endurance, and ultimate success. And we hope that eventually, even the secular nation of Israel will discover its Messiah. Paul prophesied this eventuality in Romans 9-11.

In the primitive Jewish view, all suffering was regarded as the result of particular sins. In a very general way, that is, associated with original sin's entrance into God's creation, this is true. However, in early times, misfortune was generally regarded as one's own fault, or due to one's parents or grandparents - that is, somebody must be to blame. Indeed, life has a way of providing negative consequences for our mistakes. If we stick our hand in the fire, we get burned. We "reap what we sow" and "what goes around, comes around." The Bible informs us that we are fallen beings who live in a fallen world and that God is a righteous judge who punishes evil. The Fatherly God also disciplines his beloved children for their own good. However, the sufferings of the prophets and saints (men like Job) reveal a most comforting truth for people of faith: our troubles and temptations are not necessarily signs that we are out of the will of God. Sometimes they may be proofs that we are in the will of God.

The Gospel of John, chapter 9, reports that Jesus was once challenged with the question of why a certain man was born blind - was it due to his own sin or that of his parents? He replied that it was neither, rather its purpose was to reveal the glory of God. Then Jesus healed the man. One point of this incident may be that we should not presume to know the purposes of God in any particular instance of suffering. A wonderful little poem, whose author remains unknown to me, illustrates this point:

THE WEAVER

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me; I cannot choose the colors, but He weaves steadily.

Sometimes He chooses sorrow and I in foolish pride, forget He sees the upper, and I the under side.

Not 'til the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly, will God unfold the canvas and reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needed in the Master Weaver's hand as the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Along with the bright threads, the dark ones are required in order to produce the best possible tapestry. Since God's specific purposes for each of us may be unclear and mysterious, this is where faith must come in. Faith says that God loves us better than we can love ourselves and that His plans for us are perfect: "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer 29:11) But sometimes harm does come and we must include such instances in our view of God's perfect plan. Romans 8:28 proclaims that ALL things do work together for the good of God's people.

Crosses and Choices

Recall the two thieves accompanying Jesus on Calvary. The lesson for us in this true story is vital. Their responses to Jesus reflect two basic choices or responses that a person can have associated with suffering and weakness. The first thief took the fleshly and short-focused view; he just wanted relief from pain; he asked to get off his cross and received nothing. The second thief had a spiritual perspective and took the long view; he asked to enter Christ's kingdom and he received this and eternal life. Jesus did not ask either of them to do anything for Him. Both were dying and needed help but they had different priorities and so made different choices; they asked for different things. We, too, face the same choices. We all have our crosses to bear and our thorns in the flesh. We also have at least two choices regarding how we deal with them.

People of faith have always dealt with suffering differently than others. We honor the saints and martyrs for two reasons: first, they compassionately gave their all to relieve others' sufferings, and secondly, they accepted their own sufferings, often joyfully. They both fought suffering in others and also offered up their own suffering for the better good. Their lessons for us come in these same forms, like two sides of the same coin. On side one, our task is to relieve suffering however we can (like the Good Samaritan), and on the other, we believe that it can provide meaning (pointing us to Christ) and build character, preparing us for the Kingdom. Scripture provides many examples of both perspectives.

The value of endurance in suffering can be discovered in the story of Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and was later unjustly thrown into prison. Yet Joseph remained righteous before God and eventually became the second most powerful man on earth. He saved his family from famine and told his brothers, "You intended it for harm, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20).

There are at least two morals to this story. First, out of great evil and difficulty, God can bring greater good. Secondly, hardship can prepare us to help others. All of his trials made Joseph into the man he needed to be.

In his short book The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen echoes a principle known since ancient times: no one understands a hurting person better than the one who has been there. In other words, in experiencing troubles, if we accept them as from the hand of God, we become more compassionate and qualified to help those who have the same kind of troubles.

The Refiner's Fire

Perhaps you have seen the email story (author unknown) that I have received several times over the past decade. It goes like this:

Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to study the scriptures. While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: "And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 3:3)

One lady proposed to visit a silversmith, and report to them on what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell her about the process of refining silver. The silversmith agreed.

"First I must heat the furnace to a high degree and insert the silver ore into the heated crucible. The ore will melt into liquid form and all the impurities will rise to the surface. Then I remove the impurities and cool the now purified silver. I must sit with my eyes steadily fixed on the process, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured."

The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." God sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure. Before she left, the lady asked one final question, "When do you know the process is complete?"

"Why, that is quite simple," replied the silversmith. "When I can see my own image in the silver, the refining process is finished."

This metaphor of refining silver or gold has been used a number of times in the scriptures. Some favorites:

Job 23:10: He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

I have been amazed at how often joy (and rejoicing) and even glory are paired with suffering in the New Testament. These experiences of suffering can have incalculable meaning and purpose; hidden within suffering is the redemptive power to heal the world and bring glory to God eternally. Note the following:

James 1:2–4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

1 Peter 4:12-13: Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you.

Romans 5:2b-4: And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Christians believe that Jesus' mission on earth is the ultimate illustration of these principles of divine purpose through suffering. Christians regard the "suffering servant" passages in Isaiah (especially Chapter 53) as prophesies pertaining to Jesus. To save and heal the world: what a purpose. As His passion experience in the Garden of Gethsemane revealed, Jesus knew how to "let go and let God." He surrendered his natural will-to-survive for the sake of God's greater purpose.

Hebrews 2:10: In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation complete through suffering...

Hebrews 12:2: Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

An essential belief of orthodox Christianity is that Jesus Christ is both divine (the Son of God) and human (the Son of Man). This being so, his earthly experience of rejection, torture, and death on the cross illustrates for us that God suffers both with us and for us. So we know we are not alone in our suffering and we have great comfort in this.

Hebrews 4:15-16: For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Hebrews 2:18: ...because He himself suffered and was tempted, He is able to help those who are likewise afflicted.

Whatever brings us to God must be very good.

The Scriptures are clear: the primary purpose of all human existence is to be in relationship with God. Remember the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all heart, soul, mind, and strength. Since we were made for intimacy with God, we should not be surprised that without God we are insecure, lonely, and self-destructive. Our lack of inner peace is unavoidable because it reflects the reality of being out of touch with our true purpose. Although our distress is unavoidable, that does not stop us from seeking "cures" for it.

Our solutions tend to take the form of dependency relationships with others and things outside of ourselves. However, to our great dismay we discover that we cannot fully depend upon anyone or anything because people are not entirely trustworthy and material things are fleeting. If all goes right, there comes a time in life when everything goes wrong. Unable to save ourselves, we fall and hit bottom; the mystics have called this "the dark night of the soul."

At the bottom, we have nowhere to look but up, and for some of us, it is at this point that we finally surrender to God. Having risked that leap of faith, our aloneness becomes wonderfully transformed into an experience of "at-one-ness" with Christ in which no sense of separation exists. It is what we were made for. Out of the ashes of our crushed dreams springs a wonderful new dream of eternal purpose.

Regardless of the severity of the trauma experienced during our "dark night," if it brings us back to God, then it was well worth the trouble. The pain was temporary but the benefits are forever: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Conclusion

In the final analysis, this world and its difficulties may turn out to be God's "boot camp" for humanity, created in order to raise His children and prepare our souls for eternity: "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed." (Romans 8:16-19)

In the article to follow, I will examine the more historic controversial issues in theodicy which cross domain boundaries into logic and existential philosophy in an attempt to answer the ultimate question of theodicy: How can a loving, omnipotent, and just God allow so much evil and suffering in the world? Not that God requires our defense, but He desires that we develop discernment and wisdom; He desires that we search the scriptures for answers to all questions regarding His divine, sovereign nature and His plans for us. And surely God wants us to provide intelligent, cogent, and scripture-based answers for unbelieving seekers.

References and Resources

Brand, Paul, and Yancey, Philip. The Gift of Pain: Why We Hurt and What We Can Do About It. HarperCollins Publishing, 1997.

Cahill, Thomas. The Gift of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, 1997.

Dougherty, Flavian. Editor. The Meaning of Human Suffering. Human Sciences Press, 1982.

Frankl, Viktor. Man's Search for Meaning. Simon & Schuster, 1972.

Lewis, C.S. The Problem of Pain. Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc., 1962.

Nouwen, Henri J.M. The Wounded Healer. Doubleday, 1965.

Ohlrich, Charles. The Suffering God. InterVarsity Press, 1982.

Palau, Luis. Where is God When Bad Things Happen? Solace in Times of Trouble. Doubleday, 1999.

Peck, M. Scott. The Road Less Traveled. Simon & Schuster, 1978.

Tada, Joni Eareckson, & Estes, Steven. When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the Almighty. Zondervan, 1997.

Yancey, Philip. Where is God When It Hurts? Zondervan, 1977, 1990.

Dr. Atkinson is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary with a doctorate in clinical psychology and an M.A. in theology. He is a licensed psychologist in clinical practice in Atlanta and also works as a clinical supervisor training Christian counselors for Richmont Graduate University. He is a founding member of Trinity Anglican Church (ACNA) in Douglasville, Georgia.