Why do God's children suffer?

Contrary to popular belief, the Bible does not teach that all men are the children of God. Jesus said to the religious leaders of His day: "You are of your father the devil" (John 8:44), but to the believers at Galatia Paul wrote: "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26).

As descendants of Adam, it shouldn’t seem strange to us that we have to suffer, because sorrow, sickness and death entered the world through sin (Rom. 5:12). But some people wonder why God's children, whose greatest desire is to please Him, should have to suffer along with others.

There are several reasons for this. In the case of Job, God allowed him to suffer to prove to Satan that Job did not live a godly life for personal gain — and Job was richly rewarded for all he endured (rather a good picture of our receiving rewards in glory for enduring to the end).

Then too, God's people could not be of much spiritual help to others if they were exempt from the sufferings which others have to bear. The unsaved could understandably say: "Oh sure, you can talk! You don't know what it’s like to suffer disappointments, sickness and pain, like we do." Our Lord is an example to us of having endured all things common to man for the sake of a dying world. And as His ambassadors, haven't we been told that we will "share the sufferings of Christ" (Col 1:24; 1 Pet 1:11, 4:12-13, 5:1)?

For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory (2 Tim 2:10).

Finally, suffering and adversity produces endurance (James 1:2-3; 1 Pet 1:6-8) by tending to make us pray more and lean harder on Him; for it is in Him that we find spiritual strength and blessing. In fact Paul said: "I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10).

But there is a great twofold advantage which we as believers have over others. First of all, our sufferings are only temporary and, second, they produce eternal glory for Him.

For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison (2 Cor. 4:17).