Can anything good come out of suffering?

It has been said that suffering is the strongest argument that Satan has against the goodness of God. At first glance, that argument seems to have some merit. After all, we know from our own human experience that it would be unnatural for loving parents to allow their children to suffer if they could prevent it. How much more, then, would a good and loving Heavenly Father, the Creator of all things, desire to abolish suffering by a simple act of His will? Yet, suffering remains an undeniable reality of life on earth.

The Question of God's Power

In 1981, Rabbi Harold Kushner published When Bad Things Happen to Good People, a book that addressed this difficult question. After examining several possible explanations for suffering, Kushner comes to the conclusion that God is good but not all-powerful, therefore unable to prevent all suffering.

For most Christians this explanation is unacceptable, because it denies God's very nature.  Scripture teaches that Yahweh is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Since the prefix "omni-" means "all," there is nothing an all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God cannot do. To deny God's power is to redefine Him into something less than God. 

A Different Way of Seeing Suffering

I would suggest that God sees suffering differently than we do. Rather than viewing it as meaningless tragedy, He sees it as something that can be used for good within the human experience. We live in an "upside down" world--a world fallen from its original perfect state. Is it possible that suffering is one of the means God uses to turn the world right side up? 

To be clear, suffering itself is not good. It is often painful, devastating, and at times unbearable. The question is not whether suffering is good, but whether it can produce good. Scripture promises that "in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 NIV)

The Example of Joseph

The story of Joseph, the son of Jacob (Genesis 37-50) provides a powerful illustration. Early in life, Joseph received two divine dreams revealing part of God's purpose for him: one day, his brothers would bow before him. Offended and threatened, his brothers conspired to destroy that possibility. "We’ll see what comes of his dreams” (Genesis 37.20 NIV) they said, and sold him to a caravan of Ishmaelites heading for Egypt.

Egypt

That detail matters. Egypt would become the very place where Joseph's dreams would be fulfilled. In trying to kill his destiny, his brothers unknowingly propelled him closer to it.

Suffering on the Way to Fulfillment 

In Egypt, Joseph was sold as a slave to one of Pharaoh's officials. Though he rose quickly to a position of trust, he was falsely accused of sexual misconduct and thrown into prison--this time among men who had served in Pharaoh's court. 

Joseph was still suffering deeply, but he was also being positioned. Even in the darkest moments, he remained on the path toward the fulfillment of God's purposes.

The Turning Point

Through his accurate interpretation of dreams for Pharaoh's imprisoned officials, Joseph was eventually summoned to interpret Pharaoh's own troubling dream. In a matter of moments, Joseph went from prison to palace. He was appointed Prime Minister of Egypt.

When famine later spread across the region, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to ask for food. They bowed before him, not recognizing the brother that they had betrayed. Joseph's dream had become reality. The dream killers had become the dream fulfillers.

Joseph's Perspective 

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Joseph's story is not his rise to power, but his response to suffering. He forgave his brothers and recognized God's hand in the process: "You meant it to me for evil," he said to them, "but God meant it to me for good, to the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20) Joseph understood that suffering had shaped him into the person he needed to become in order to fulfill his calling. 

A New Optic on Suffering

As God's children, we are invited to see suffering as a means of spiritual formation, the process of growing up and into the image of Christ. This perspective guards us against bitterness toward God and man and against a victim mentality. Because God's goal is for us to become like his Son, He must address our fallen nature. When we cooperate with God in that work, suffering can become transformative rather than destructive. That transformation leads us to the fulfillment of our destinies.

The Sufferings of Christ 

No discussion of suffering is complete without acknowledging Christ. While the cross stands as the pinnacle of His suffering, Scripture reminds us that His entire earthly life involved pain, obedience, and sacrifice. Hebrews tells us that Jesus "learned obedience from what He suffered," and through that suffering became the source of eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:8-9 NIV). If suffering was part of Christ's path, it will be part of ours as well. 

Conclusion

So we return to the original question: Can anything good come out of suffering? I believe it can--but much depends on how we interpret what we are experiencing. Is the most important thing what is happening to us, or how we respond to it? What is God watching most closely?

Scripture offers a perspective that affirms God's sovereignty and frees us from victimhood: "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children," we are told in Hebrews 12:7 (NIV). While some suffering remains mysterious, it is wise to first look for God's purpose in the hardship that we are going through. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." (Hebrews 12:11 NIV) There is no greater security than knowing that a loving Father is in control of everything that happens in our lives.

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