That’s a question people have wrestled with for ages. If God is good, then why do people suffer with sickness, disease, loss, and injustice? And this is especially challenging for Christians. I have witnessed many believers suffering with the same ills as non-believers. I’m afraid there are no simple answers to the question, but hopefully, this article can offer some insight into helping us understand the challenges we face in this life.
When God created the world, it was a perfect utopia. The earth was pure, free of deadly germs and decay. And the first man was likewise free of sickness and disease – that is, until sin entered the equation…
Humanity’s rebellion in Genesis 3 opened the door for death, decay, and suffering to come into creation. Sickness and disease began to affect everyone on the planet, even nature itself. The fall of man brought a curse upon the world, a curse that would spread throughout all creation. The Bible says the wages of sin is death…a death that would impact the entire universe. Sin would not just affect the one who sinned – but would contaminate the whole earth. Mankind, who was created to live forever, would begin to die the moment they were born. The very environment of planet earth was polluted by the consequence of sin.
God created this planet to be our home. Not only would we live on earth, but earth would be our domain, a place where we would rule and reign as governors of the land. (See Genesis 1:26.) Man’s freedom to choose right or wrong would determine the outcome of the world we would live in. Righteousness would bring the blessing of God; sin would produce a curse. (Read Deuteronomy 28.) Today, we live in a world that has been polluted by the wages of sin. An environment that is filled with all kinds of sickness and disease.
Disease, natural disasters, and infirmities like cancer are consequences of living in this fallen world—not targeted punishments for individual sin in most cases. Scripture says, “God makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45) Christians are not exempt; we live in the same broken physical reality as everyone else. Death and illness entered the world through sin, affecting all people everywhere. (Romans 5:12) Even creation itself “groans” to be delivered from the bondage of corruption! (Romans 8:20-22). Cancer, like other diseases, is part of this universal brokenness. It doesn’t mean God is absent or uncaring—He sustains the world moment by moment—but the full restoration is yet to come.
Jesus was very clear in John 16:33. He warns us: “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” The apostle Paul, who suffered immensely, wrote that believers will suffer hardships. The Bible does not promise we will be exempt from sickness and disease; it does promise God will be with us through difficult times. And Jesus demonstrated the Father’s desire for us to walk in health, even as our soul prospers. (3 John 3:2)
The book of Job shows how a righteous man loses everything, only to endure his friends being convinced that his hardships must be punishment for his secret sins. God never fully explains to Job why he suffered such loss and calamity, but He affirms His goodness toward him – despite all his misfortunes. Job’s life was changed by walking through the fire, and his latter days were blessed beyond the former. Like Job, our perspective while walking through trials and tribulations, is limited. And so, we should remember that God is always working for good toward those who love Him. Suffering isn’t always about personal fault.
Suffering can serve purposes beyond our understanding.Scripture describes how suffering works for our good both now and in the life to come. James 1:2-4 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” It grows faith and builds character.
Suffering can also draw people closer to God. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the apostle was told, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul learned that his infirmity increased the power of Christ in his life. That may be hard for us to understand when walking through the fire – but God allows it for our good. Romans 8:28“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
Suffering can also be a means of discipline and refinement. Hebrews 12:5-11 tells us God disciplines those He loves. We don’t like to think that suffering can produce anything good in our life. Yet we are told this in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
And let us not forget we are living in an age of war. We have an enemy that hates us and looks for every opportunity to inflict harm upon our life. In 1 Peter 5:8 we are told, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” We are not called to wrestle against flesh and blood, but we are called to wrestle against the evil forces in this present age (Ephesians 6:12) with the powerful, spiritual weapons God gives us! (See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5.)
Ultimately, Christianity’s only answer to the struggles of life is the cross. Through the cross we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Bad things happen to good people because we live in a broken world marked by sin’s effects, human choices, and a polluted environment. God in His sovereignty allows us to go through difficult times for reasons we don’t always understanding (Isaiah 55:9), but He promises to be with us, sustain us, and ultimately give us the victory over all things. Faith doesn’t always eliminate the pain we suffer—but it does offer hope through the trails we face. Many Christians who have battled cancer have described a deeper intimacy with God, compassion for others, and assurance of heaven.
If you are in a battle with cancer or some other horrendous trial, don’t give up. Call on the One “who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” (Ephesians 3:20)
