Is Suffering a Blessing? The Biblical Nature of Christian Affliction
In modern churches, suffering is a frequently discussed theme. Yet how we are to understand and accept it remains a divisive question. Some sermons describe suffering as a test or training, while others interpret it as a result of a lack of faith or divine punishment. On the other hand, some go as far as to romanticize suffering, calling it a blessing unconditionally. But in the life of a Christian, suffering is far more complex—and Scripture never simplifies it. Rather, it is through the depth of lives shaped by suffering that God’s will, human frailty, and the essence of faith are revealed.
We often view suffering as something to be avoided. Pain is uncomfortable, failure is shameful, and loss is terrifying. Yet Scripture does not portray suffering as merely a disaster to escape. For the people of God, suffering is a kind of calling—a place where God intervenes. God responded to Israel’s groaning under Egyptian oppression and sowed the seeds of a new covenant in the tears of the exiled people of Judah. The God of the Bible does not ignore suffering. He enters into it and works through it.
The apostle Paul did not avoid suffering. On the contrary, he said he rejoiced in it. “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3–4). For Paul, suffering was not merely something to endure, but the process through which God reshaped the believer’s inner being. This is not to glamorize suffering, but rather an invitation to trust God who works even beyond what we can see.
The Bible explains suffering in various ways—as training, as discipline, or as part of God’s inscrutable providence. The suffering of Job is itself a mystery. God never explains the cause to Job. Instead, God reveals His greatness, and Job ultimately lays down his own understanding. This shows that suffering is not always the result of moral failure or lack of faith. There is suffering in this world that defies explanation, and even those who walk faithfully with God are not exempt from it.
In the end, suffering acts like a furnace that refines faith. It does not burn us up—it purifies. God never abandons us in suffering. Rather, He is present in the very heart of it. Even when we do not understand, God’s hand never ceases to move. So we believe suffering is not the end. It may be the beginning—the place where God’s work begins.
Throughout Scripture, suffering appears as a stage where grace unfolds. Israel encountered God in the wilderness. David sang to God while on the run. The apostles cried out in the face of prison and persecution. In all these moments, God was not far. He does not turn away from the wounded; He draws near to the brokenhearted. When our lives fall apart, we finally learn how to be held by God’s hand.
How should Christians today understand suffering? Instead of dismissing it as a temporary trial, we must hear the Word of God within it. The essence of faith does not lie in good or bad circumstances, but in fixing our gaze on God beyond our circumstances. Even in suffering, God does not withdraw His love. Suffering is not a sign of His absence, but a possible pathway to deeper presence. In this way, suffering is reinterpreted within the story of God.
We may never learn to like suffering. But we cannot ignore the grace it produces. The Christian life is not a life exempt from suffering, but a life that encounters God even in suffering. Suffering does not destroy us—it may become the very tool through which we are reshaped into God’s image. It is not an ending, but the sentence where a new story with God begins.
Job’s Suffering: The Faith of One Left in Silence
When we think of a theology of suffering, the book of Job comes first to mind. Job was wealthy and devout, yet in a single day, he lost his children and property, and then his health. His pain was not just physical or material—it dismantled the meaning of his life and his relationship with God. Job’s story is more than a narrative; it confronts us with the truth that suffering can strike even the most faithful, and that such suffering is not always a punishment for sin.
Job’s suffering begins with silence. He had done no wrong. God Himself declared, “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.” Still, suffering came, and God did not explain why. At this point, we confront the limitations of a cause-and-effect faith. The formula of “do good and receive blessing, do evil and receive punishment” collapses before Job.
Job’s friends cling to traditional theology. They assume that Job must have sinned, and they urge him to repent. But God rebukes them, saying their words were not right. Job’s suffering was not because of wrongdoing. Instead, the book warns against hastily assigning meaning to others’ suffering—it may reveal spiritual arrogance. When we presume to understand God’s will entirely, we are already stepping into His place.
The climax of Job is not an answer, but God’s appearance. Speaking out of the whirlwind, God does not explain the reasons for Job’s pain. Rather, He reveals human limitation. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (Job 38:4). This question does not unlock the mystery of suffering, but reminds us that God’s sovereignty and faithfulness remain unshaken even in it.
Job seeks God amid silence. His prayers are filled with complaints, even accusations. But God does not reject such honest cries. Job does not curse God. He defends himself, but he never gives up on the relationship. Even in divine silence, he holds on to God. This is the faith of the believer—not understanding everything, yet refusing to turn away. Job’s faith is not emotionless endurance, but loyal defiance expressed through raw, honest questions.
Many believers today stand in front of similar questions. “Why is this happening to me?” “Why is God silent?” Life grows heavier, and moments that feel like divine absence come more often. But Job teaches us: these are the very moments when true faith is revealed, and where God’s deeper purpose may be hidden.
Faith is not what we have after we’ve figured everything out. Faith is trusting God when we cannot know everything. Job never fully understood, but he did not leave God. One of his most powerful declarations is this: “I know that my Redeemer lives” (Job 19:25). Though surrounded by pain, his Redeemer lives—and that is the heart of the book. Job trusted in the God who was beyond his suffering.
The final chapter of Job is not simply about restoration. His suffering is not erased, but reinterpreted in the presence of God. He received more than he had before, but the true blessing was the deeper knowledge of God. He was no longer a believer untouched by suffering, but one who had endured it. And God called him “My servant Job.” It is the highest honor given to one who did not abandon God amid affliction.
To believers today, Job is a mirror. Suffering cannot always be explained, but it can be endured with faith. God is still at work, and even in our silence, His hand does not rest. True faith is the courage to question, and the humility to return to God after the questioning ends.
The time of suffering is always hard, and we may not grasp its meaning right away. But like Job, those who seek God and lean on Him in suffering will eventually hear His voice. That voice may not explain everything, but it will bring assurance that God is alive and has never forsaken us. Job lived with that assurance—and was counted righteous because of that faith. If we, too, can hold on to such faith, our suffering will not be in vain.
Maeil Scripture Journal | Special Series
