Dear friend,
You asked a deeply abiding question for the Christian. Namely, what does it mean for God to do good if we suffer? In other words, how does suffering and good fit in the same sentence? The Apostle Paul says that “all things work together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28)” So where is the “good” when there is suffering plus suffering multiplied by suffering, but never divided or subtracted by suffering? How do you see God’s goodness in a perpetual cycle of pain and distress?
One of the fundamental issues when discussing the “good” is to define the “good” according to the Scriptures. If we believe “good” has to do with everything going well for us, when the kids are finally in bed and Hulu+ is on, and the paycheck keeps coming regularly, and everyone is relatively healthy all the time…if that’s what we mean by God’s “good,” we are going to be very disappointed as Christians. There is something far greater happening when God does good to those who suffer. It’s not merely a relief from pain or angst through a few casual forms of entertainment.
When I was growing up, there was this Christian tract going around called the “Four Spiritual Laws.” One of the themes of the tract was that God has a wonderful plan for your life if you become a Christian. Even back then, I remember thinking, “what do they mean by wonderful?” After all, I knew many great Christians who suffered and I don’t think they’d say that their suffering was wonderful.
The Bible uses the word “good” a lot; 610 times to be precise. At the beginning of Genesis, God creates and at the end of each day, he says it is good. At the end of the creation week, God says that it is very good; there is an accentuation of the good. At the end of Genesis, Joseph looks at his brothers and says, that you intended to harm me, but God intended it to do good (Gen. 50:20). There is a contrast taking place, and it helps define the “good” for the readers. When the Bible talks about the “good” in creation, it’s not saying that creation will not suffer, for surely after Genesis 3 it groans (Rom. 8). When God does good to creation, He’s establishing creation to follow after his design for them. What good is it for creation to groan but not long for God?
In the classic example of Joseph–who suffered immensely—the same process is repeated. Yes, Joseph suffered and was falsely accused, but for him, the suffering led him to turn his face towards God—the greatest Good. Joseph’s suffering was the means to experience God’s goodness. Similarly, did the Father not give of his goodness to the Son amidst the Son’s suffering? Yes, He did.
But for you, here’s where the rubber meets the good: When God does Good he re-orients you in your life-journey.But doesn’t God want good for his children? Yes, but you need to understand that for God to do good means that He orients you to his ways, his order, his will, his desires, his word, his body, and his instruction. When we suffer, however much we suffer, the best good God can do for us is to orient our eyes towards Him and his people. What good does it do to recover from an illness and be driven away from God? None whatsoever. In that case, your suffering has been in vain.
Now, does God heal? Yes. Is that good? Yes. But if we suffer, the greatest good is to direct us deeper into God’s purposes, order and ways. Day one of creation is good because the sun, moon and stars serve God’s purpose and design. If creation groans—and it does—but it does not serve God’s purposes, that’s not good, that’s a curse for creation. Joseph’s suffering is good because it leads him to serve God in a more significant capacity. Similarly, God does good by re-arranging your loves through your pain and suffering. God wastes no broken bone or cancer or job loss.
Therefore, God does good amid our suffering by turning our affections, desires, and habits towards him. Anything else is not good. You may need to begin by changing entirely your definition of what is good, otherwise you will be perpetually doubtful of God’s goodness.
Sincerely, Pastor Brito
#Letter129
