Few questions are as universal—or as personal—as this one: If God is loving, why does He allow bad things to happen? For some, it’s a philosophical question. For others, it’s born out of loss, disappointment, unanswered prayers, or pain that still doesn’t make sense.
Scripture never treats this question lightly, and neither should we. The Bible does not shame us for asking it, nor does it rush us toward easy, rehearsed answers. Instead, it invites us into a story—one big enough to hold both truth and tears.
A Question Every Worldview Must Face
This is not merely a Christian question; it’s a human one. Every worldview has to account for the same undeniable reality: things are not the way they’re supposed to be. We feel it in our own lives and see it in the world around us. Something is broken.
Many explanations have been offered. Some suggest human progress will eventually solve suffering. Others deny God’s existence altogether, or portray Him as distant, limited, or uninterested. Still others claim evil is an illusion. Yet none of these explanations truly satisfy what we know deep down—that evil is real, suffering is grievous, and we long for redemption that goes beyond mere coping.
Christianity makes a bold claim: God is all good, all powerful, and personal—and He has entered into human suffering Himself.
The Story Begins with Goodness
The biblical story doesn’t begin with suffering; it begins with goodness. Genesis 1 repeatedly declares that creation is “good,” and when humanity is created in God’s image, it is declared “very good.” This tells us something crucial: evil and suffering were not part of God’s original design.
In Genesis 1–2, there is harmony—between God and humanity, between people, and even between humanity and creation. There is no shame, fear, or death. Work is meaningful. Relationships are whole. God walks with His people. Life flourishes under His loving rule.
One of the good gifts God gives humanity is free will. This freedom is relational, not abstract. God invites trust, love, and obedience—but He does not force them. Real love must be chosen. A world with genuine love must also be a world where genuine rejection is possible.
God considered a world with the risk of evil better than a world without the possibility of love.
What Went Wrong?
Genesis 3 tells us what went wrong—and how. Evil does not enter the world through God’s hand, but through humanity’s choice to distrust God’s heart. The serpent’s strategy is subtle: not denying God outright, but questioning His goodness. “Did God really say?”
At the root of sin is not merely rule-breaking, but mistrust. Adam and Eve choose autonomy over trust, independence over obedience—and the world fractures.
The consequences are immediate and far-reaching: humanity hides from God, blames others, relationships strain, creation resists, pain multiplies, and death enters the story. This is the world we now inhabit—a broken world where things wear out, fall apart, and eventually return to dust.
Suffering is not random, and it is not meaningless—but it is also not how God originally created the world to be.
Hope Spoken in the Middle of Judgment
Remarkably, even in Genesis 3, God speaks a word of hope. In Genesis 3:15—the first gospel—God promises that evil will not have the final word. One day, a descendant of the woman will crush the serpent’s head. Redemption is promised before humanity even leaves the garden.
Suffering is not the end of the story; it becomes the setting where redemption begins.
Living Faithfully in a Groaning World (Romans 8)
If this is the world we live in—fallen, broken, and groaning—how do we walk faithfully through it?
Romans 8 gives us several truths we can trust.
First, glory awaits. Paul reminds us that present suffering is real, but it is not ultimate. It is not worthy to be compared with the glory that is coming. This doesn’t minimize pain; it places it in the light of eternity.
Second, we are not alone. Creation groans. We groan. And even the Holy Spirit groans with us. When pain strips away our words and we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Groaning is not faithlessness—it is the language of hope in a broken world.
Third, God is at work. Romans 8:28 does not say everything is good. It says God works all things together for good—conforming us to the image of His Son. God’s ultimate goal is not our comfort, but our transformation.
God Entered Our Suffering
Christianity dares to say something no other worldview does: God Himself entered into suffering. The cross shows us that God is not distant from pain. The resurrection assures us that pain does not win in the end.
God does not merely explain suffering—He bears it, confronts it, and ultimately defeats it.
Holding On to Hope
If you are suffering, your pain is not dismissed. Your questions are not unwelcome. Your groaning is not a failure of faith.
If you are doubting, Christianity does not ask you to turn your brain off. It accounts for evil honestly while offering hope grounded in the character of God.
And if you are walking with someone who is hurting, remember this: before quoting Romans 8:28, spend time in Romans 8:26. Sit with people. Remind them that the Spirit is present, helping them in their weakness.
A day is coming when the groaning will cease—when faith becomes sight and God finishes what He has promised. Until then, we press on with hope, trusting not because we understand everything, but because we trust the One who holds all things together.