Introduction
Pain is not an exclusive Christian experience; all humans experience it. The apostle Paul states this clearly in 1 Corinthians 10:13. Many Christians assume that their special relationship with God should make them immune to suffering in the world. That is incorrect! We also, like every dweller of this fallen and broken world, experience pain—from the loss of a loved one, a divorce, a recurring cycle of miscarriages, or a terminal illness.
In moments of grief, even the most spiritual Christians can find themselves asking difficult questions, like “Where is God when life hurts? While some do not voice the question, as it might signal spiritual weakness or a lack of faith, it is there nonetheless.
However, this feeling is not unusual among God’s people. Some of the patriarchs in the Bible felt the same way at some point in their lives. David cried out in Psalm 13:1–2:
1 O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever? How long will you look the other way? 2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul, with sorrow in my heart every day?…” [NLT]
The Bible did not hide these cries, indicating that God is not offended by the honest feelings of His people. Rather, He invites us to bring our hurts and questions before Him. At the same time, Scripture consistently points us to a comforting truth: God is not absent when His people suffer. He is with us and working in ways that we cannot immediately see.
This article is a pastoral reflection, seeking to explore the Bible’s teaching about believers’ suffering. It will examine why God’s people suffer, offer biblical ways to navigate such seasons, and provide encouragement for hurting believers. In all, it will seek to answer the difficult question: Where is God when life hurts?
The Reality Of Believer’s Suffering
A gospel that promises that faith in God assures a life free from suffering in this world—that life should be easier and more comfortable for those who belong to God is a false gospel. Scripture itself promises no such thing. In fact, the Lord Jesus spoke quite plainly about the certainty of Christians experiencing hardships in this world. He says in John 16:33:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Suffering and pain are realities of a fallen and broken world that even Christians will encounter at some point along this journey of faith. The apostles were diligent to drive this truth into the first Christians (Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12). It takes different forms: persecution for our faith, loss of loved ones, illness, financial hardship, relational pain, etc., but the reality is the same: suffering is part of human experience, even for we who belong to God.
Recognizing this truth prepares us. When we understand that suffering do not contradict God’s love, we are less likely to lose hope when they come. Instead of asking, “Why me?” we can ask a more mature question: “What might God be doing in the midst of this?”
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The Bible is honest about suffering. It does not present the patriarchs of faith as people who are untouched by life’s challenges.
- David—the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), experienced betrayal, danger, loss, and deep distress.
- Job—a man described as “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1), experienced devastating losses that would crush anyone’s faith.
- Joseph, despite fearing God, faced sufferings he did not deserve—betrayed by his own brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned.
These examples highlight two crucial truths:
(1) Righteous living does not immune from suffering.
(2) Faith does not mean suppressing pain. God does not expect us to pretend that pain is palatable. He is not offended that we ask, “Where is God when life hurts?”
Therefore, when believers experience griefs, and we ask the difficult questions, such as “Where is God when life hurts?”, we are walking, not a strange path, but one that countless saints have walked before us, where honest lament can coexist with enduring hope.
Why Do Believers Suffer?
This is one of the difficult questions that springs up in the hearts of believers who are hurting. Why do Christians suffer? And, Scripture offers a varied answer to this question.
1. We Live in a Fallen World
This present world is a broken place. Scripture explicitly reveals the brokenness of this world on the account of sin. In Romans 5:12, the apostle Paul states:
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
The world that emerged after the rebellion of man against God was not as God originally created it. Suffering, losses, sicknesses, pain, and death became a part of the world and human experience in the world. And, Christians, like other humans, are not exempt from the suffering that exists in this fallen and broken world. Although we have been redeemed through Christ and belong to God, we still live in a creation that has been affected by sin, and are also subject to the painful within it.
Therefore, as long as we remain in this world, we will also experience pain. While God mercifully preserves us from many painful experiences, we are not completely immune from all the painful experiences of this present world. In fact, Scripture states that the world itself groans in pain (Romans 8:20–22). Pain will only end when this sinful world ends and the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of Christ (Revelation 21:4).
2. Suffering for Christ’s Sake
Believers suffer for our faith. Jesus warned of this (John 15:18–21). Christians have been beaten, tortured, even killed, for Christ’s sake. This is part of the Christian calling (Philippians 1:29). Christian suffering is not to be considered a misfortune, but a privilege to participate in Christ’s suffering (Philippians 3:10).
When we suffer persecution, we are participating in Christ’s suffering, tasting in a small way, how He suffered for us. Suffering for Christ is not meaningless; it is honorable and an experience to rejoiced over (1 Peter 4:13). It is spiritually enriching.
3. God’s Loving Discipline
Believers also suffer through God’s discipline. God disciplines those He loves, guiding them back onto paths of righteousness and obedience (Hebrews 12:6–11; Psalm 119:67). Discipline may not feel pleasant, but it is evidence of God’s care and investment in our spiritual growth.
4. Doing God’s Will
Believers also suffer for doing God’s will. It is not always that doing God’s will leads to promotion. It can also result in discomfort, losses, etc. Joseph went to jail for doing God’s will.
5. Satan’s Attack
Satan’s attacks can also cause suffering for the believer. Every Christian is a target for the devil (1 Peter 5:8). He brings adversities our ways in order to make us deny our faith. This was the root of Job’s suffering (Job 1:9–12).
Where Is God When Life Hurts?
Another pressing and profound question asked in seasons of hurt is this: Where is God when life hurts? The moments of pain can feel as though God is absent or distant. But Scripture gives us three comforting assurances us.
1. God Is Ever Present
Scripture assures us of God’s ever abiding presence in our seasons of trouble (Psalm 46:1). The Lord Jesus emphatically promises in Matthew 28:20:
“…and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
God’s presence is real. He does not always remove the difficulty. He walks with us through them. This presence offers comfort, guidance, and protection, even when circumstances seem overwhelming.
God’s presence is not always felt in the way we expect, but it is constant and unchanging. It is a promise, not a feeling. Even when we do not sense Him, He is near.
2. God is Sustaining
Believers are never alone in our suffering. God is present with us, walking with us, though we can’t hear His footsteps. But importantly, He is supplying strength to us, and sustaining us, so that we can bear the experience (2 Corinthians 12:7—9).
Isaiah 40:29 states:
“He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.”
Left to ourselves, we will easily collapse under the weight of our suffering. But God holds us up, and carries us.
3. God Is Working
Suffering can feel so meaningless or unfair that we cannot perceive God’s work. Yet Scripture assures that God’s purposes are unfolding, even within our suffering (Romans 8:28). God is always at work in the midst of suffering. We only have to trust His providence, knowing that even trials are His tools to shape, strengthen, and prepare us for His purpose (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).
The value of pain is eternal. Like fire purifying gold, God often uses hardships to shape our hearts and refine our faith (Romans 5:3–5; James 1:2–4; 1 Peter 1:6–7). God’s work in suffering is often quiet, but He is actively working. Our limited perspective may not see it, but His purposes are always faithful and wise.
Sometimes, it feels that God is silent. This feeling can be unsettling, leaving the heart heavy with doubt and loneliness. Scripture does not deny this experience. Even the Son felt that way on the cross (Matthew 27:46). But Scripture assures us that God’s silence does not mean abandonment. His ways and timing differs from our own understanding (Isaiah 45:15). But in His silence, God is present, strengthening, working out His purposes and our deliverance (Psalm 34:18; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
Rather than drive us far from God, God’s silence ought to draw us into deeper reliance and intimacy with God.
Dangers That Accompany Suffering
Pain never leaves us the same. Just as the season of grief can refine faith and character, and deepen intimacy with God, even so it can endanger believers. Here are four danger to look out for.
1. Bitterness: Resentment toward God (for permitting the pain), or toward others (for appearing to be in a better state while we suffer) can sprout. Bitterness poisons the heart, distorts our view of God, steals our joy, and can lead to rebellion or withdrawal from God (Hebrews 12:15).
2. Unbelief: Trials can tempt believers to doubt God’s goodness and promises. Doubt itself is not sin, but it can weaken faith and open the door to hopelessness.
3. Isolation: Suffering can tempt us to withdraw from others, either out of pride, or shame. This is dangerous because it deprives us of the support needed during trials (Ecclesiastes 4:9–10).
4. Weariness: Prolonged trials can weary the soul, making us to lose interest in service, prayer, and Christian generally.
Therefore, we must be vigilant, carefully keeping watch over our hearts and minds, lest any evil seed sprout in us and produce ungodly fruits (1 Peter 5:8–9).
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How Suffering Serves God’s Greater Purposes
Suffering is not always immediately understandable. Sometimes, God allows pain to accomplish purposes that are not clear to us. Suffering, therefore, can be part of God’s larger plan to bring about greater good. Joseph understood afterward that his suffering was permitted to preserve the human race (Genesis 50:20), and therefore preserve God’s redemptive plan.
God’s purposes often extend beyond our immediate grasp. Therefore, even when we don’t understand why, we can trust that God is at work behind the scenes.
Suffering Can Enhance Growth
Suffering can serve as a catalyst for spiritual growth. God uses trials to refine believers’ character (Romans 5:3–4). Moments of pain can expose weaknesses in our character, and drive us to cry to God for help. For example, we may realize that we are feeling hateful toward people who are not suffering like us. That exposes the weakness of our love.
Suffering Can Awaken Deeper Intimacy
Also, suffering can awaken a deeper hunger for God. Pain often opens our hearts in ways pleasure cannot, prompting increased prayer and desire to know God more fully. The psalmist declares in Psalm 119:71:
“It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.”
When we are at ease, it is easy to drift into self-reliance or take God for granted. But trials have a way of humbling us, forcing us to lean fully on God and develop a deeper intimacy with Him (2 Corinthians 1:8-9).
Our Suffering Can Strengthen Others
Suffering can have a powerful impact on other believers. When a believer endures hardship like a good soldier of Jesus, that image becomes a source of encouragement, comfort, and inspiration for others. A believer’s faithful endurance of trial can impact the larger church. They model perseverance and hope, showing the church that even the hardest trials can be navigated with God’s help (Philippians 1:12–14).
Likewise, pain can produce ministry and empathy. Those who have overcome pain can connect more deeply with those suffering, and help them to navigate theirs. 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 says:
3 Blessed be the God… 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Navigating A Season Of Pain Like A Believer
All humans, Christians and unbelievers alike, go through pain. What differentiates us is how each of us go through pain. Scripture provides guidance on how Christians should navigate pain in a manner that glorifies God.
1. Persevere with Hope
The believer must keep hope alive. If hope dies, nothing else lives. Hope anchors the believer’s life in the reality of God’s promises of present restoration and future glorification (Romans 12:12; James 1:12), and in His character and ability to make good His promises.
2. Never Forsake Communion!
Personal communion with God, through prayer, fasting, and worship, is another powerful anchor for believers in the season of pain. This provides a platform to pour out our fears and griefs to God honestly (Psalm 62:8; Philippians 4:6–7). Importantly, God floods our minds with His peace, reinforces our strength and faith, and imparts our hearts with discernment and guidance.
3. Meditate on Scripture
The Word is another powerful anchor. Pain clouds perspective, making hope difficult to see. But immersing ourselves in God’s Word anchors our hearts and minds in God’s truth, constantly setting before our faces God’s character, promises, and presence. This enables trust, hope, and perseverance in us.
4. Believers’ Community
The Christian life is a shared life. God, through other believers, supplies comfort, encouragement, and perspective to us (Acts 4:23–31). Isolation intensifies despair, but in the company of people of like faith, we will find support, comfort, prayer, and wisdom (Galatians 6:2). However, we must be willing to accept help without shame. Vulnerability is a sign of wisdom, not of weakness.
5. Maintain An Attitude of Joy
This is so crucial! Joy is a powerful weapon for dealing with suffering. Isaiah 12:3 says:
“Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.”
The attitude of joy shifts the focus from the suffering to God. This is not denying suffering. Rather, it signifies confidence in God (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Psalm 34:1–3).
Be intentional with creating a joyful atmosphere around yourself. Listen to and sing spiritual songs. Reflect daily on God’s past goodness to you. Importantly, avoid people or places that reinforce your pain.
Encouragement For Hurting Believers
Before concluding, I’d like to encourage believers going through presently. Be encouraged. Know that:
You Are Not Alone
Your pain is real. But you are never truly alone. God is with you, and He understands your sorrow intimately. He says to you in Isaiah 43:2:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you; when you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned…”
Even in silence, God is walking with you, carrying, and sustaining you moment by moment.
It won’t last forever
Your pain may feel endless, but Scripture promises that it won’t last forever. And, God will bring eternal good out of them (2 Corinthians 4:17). This season is difficult, but God is refining, strengthening, and preparing you for greater purposes.
Keep Up Your Faith
Your perseverance is not unnoticed. God sees your trusting Him, even when hope seems dim (James 1:12). Know that your endurance is also inspiring others, and strengthening the church. Your pain is both spiritually productive and eternally significant. Please, don’t give up!
Keep Leaning on God
Keep leaning on prayer, God’s Word, and worship. On your own, you will fail. But leaning on God, you can never fail.
Conclusion
The answer to the question, “Where is God when life hurts?” is not always visible in the circumstances, but it is always true: God is present, faithful, and is working—even when we cannot see it. In trials and sorrow, God never fails. He is not indifferent to our pain.
Believers are called to trust God in the midst of all, knowing that trials are part of our journey of faith. By pouring our hearts honestly to God in prayer, meditating on His Word, relying on believers’ community, and remaining steadfast in worship, we anchor ourselves in God.
If you are hurting today:
Let your pain drive you to the Lord, not away from Him.
Trust that your suffering is not meaningless. God is using it to refine your character, deepen your intimacy with Him, and bring hope to others.
Remember that you are not alone. Countless faithful believers have walked through similar trials, and God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Let your heart rest in the truth that God is with you, even when it hurts. His loving hands are holding you, and His faithfulness will never fail.
