Why does God allow pain and suffering?

Sometimes we question God in everything. Not because we don’t believe in His existence, but because we are constantly trying to figure out everything by ourselves. Once life gets challenging, we as humans tend to be overwhelmed easily and lose clear sight of the path we once walked on with a full heart. Why does God allow pain and suffering? Is it because we are bound to it for as long as we live in this imperfect world, or maybe God is not listening to our prayers.

Our restless mind and restless heart won’t stop racing, trying to find the answer to the mysterious ways of God’s plan for each of us. His ways can be lonely and confusing to understand. One day we shout with joy, “Halleluiah,” and other days we question God. Sometimes God’s way doesn’t make sense, especially in the moments we feel like nothing is going our way and we feel His presence less and less. Because how can a loving God let us be in this state? But if we were to pause and think for a moment, we would realise that as long as we continue to trust in Him a little more and keep our focus on Him in the midst of chaos, we are surrendering our pain and suffering to Him instead and that is what He wants us to do. We surrender our worries into the hands of the One who has already figured out and planned our life for the good and the glory of His name.

Asking for favour in prayer means one thing, but the most beautiful thing to do is to allow God to give according to His will. Sometimes through pain and suffering He tests our faith, because as Romans 5:3–4 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” This tells us that through suffering, God is most near to us, shaping us into the person He wants us to become.