God’s Not Punishing You

There’s no way around it—suffering is everywhere. You can’t scroll, drive, or breathe too long before bumping into it. People get sick. Families fall apart. Children die. And sooner or later, that pain knocks on your own door. So the question comes rushing in like a flood: If God is real… and God is good… and all powerful… why does He allow all of this?

Atheists often argue that suffering is the ultimate proof that a loving God doesn’t exist. They believe pain is either random, evolutionary, or just the universe being cold and indifferent. To them, there’s no grand plan—just chaos dressed in circumstance.

But here’s where Christianity flips the script.

Instead of dodging the hard stuff, Jesus stepped into it. He suffered betrayal, beatings, and the cross. And not because He had to—but because He chose to. Why? Because pain, in His hands, isn’t pointless. It’s a tool. A refining fire. A chisel that shapes the human heart into something more like His.

Suffering, through the eyes of faith, is allowed—not because God enjoys watching us hurt, but because He’s after something far deeper than comfort. He’s after transformation.

My husband, a former atheist, used to say his number one argument against the existence of a living God was this: Why would a loving God allow children to suffer such horrendous abuse and even death at the hands of evil? Why? His final conclusion back then was simple and heartbreaking—there must be no God at all.

But everything changed after he read the Bible for the first time. God gave him a revelation that instantly led to his conversion: all suffering in the world is meant to change us. Every life is in His hands. He is the great Author—and we are simply invited to participate in His amazing and, yes, sometimes very painful stories.

“In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” — Job 12:10

The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat it. Paul, who knew a thing or two about pain, wrote, “Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” In other words, there’s a process. And while we may not like the fire, we love what it produces: depth, endurance, humility, and compassion.

And let’s be real—some of the most selfless, soft-hearted, spiritually mature people you’ve ever met have walked through something. They’ve bled. They’ve wept. They’ve suffered deep loss. They’ve overcome cancer. And because of it, they love without hidden agendas. They carry empathy like oxygen. Suffering didn’t destroy them—it deepened them.

James tells us to “consider it joy when we face trials,” not because the trial feels good, but because something eternal is being built inside us. God allows what He could prevent because He sees the end from the beginning. And while we only see the breaking, He sees the becoming.

This world is not the final story. That’s why Romans 8:18 hits different: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

So if you’re in the fire right now—know this: He’s not absent. He’s not cruel. He’s not careless. He’s working, shaping, softening, and preparing you—and everyone around you.

He is the Author and Finisher of our faith. So let Him have His way.