As anxiety, injustice, and suffering dominate the headlines, an ancient question is resurfacing with new urgency about how a good God fits into a hurting world.
You have probably stared at the ceiling at 2 AM, wondering why life feels like a heavy boxing match. It is the age-old dilemma that makes us question everything we thought we knew about the divine. You look around at the news, and it seems like the bad guys are winning while good people finish last. It is enough to make anyone wonder if there is actually a pilot flying this plane or if we are just drifting.
You are definitely not alone in feeling like the universe might be playing a cruel prank on you. Philosophers and theologians have wrestled with this since the dawn of time, trying to square a loving creator with a hurting planet. The answers are rarely simple, but digging into them might just offer a little bit of peace. Here are some reasons why pain and goodness might actually coexist in our daily lives.
Free Will Is A Package Deal
If we were robots programmed to only do good things, life would be pretty boring, and love would mean absolutely nothing to anyone. God wanted real relationships, not a showroom full of obedient mannequins who just nod their heads.
That freedom means we sometimes make terrible choices that hurt others and ripple through our communities, causing pain. It is the riskier side of choosing your own adventure instead of following a script.
Broken Systems Impact Everyone
Sometimes the pain has nothing to do with what you did and everything to do with how society operates today. We often find ourselves caught in the gears of a machine that was rusting long before we got here.
An American Psychiatric Association study found that 43 percent of Americans say they have suffered from anxiety, mostly due to systemic/economic issues. It shows that the structures around us can cause suffering regardless of our individual moral choices.
Pain Acts As A Warning Signal
Imagine if you could put your hand on a hot stove and feel absolutely nothing until your hand was completely gone. Pain often serves as a jarring alarm system, signaling that something is wrong and needs immediate attention.
We tend to view discomfort as an enemy, but it actually prevents us from destroying ourselves without even realizing it. Without that sharp ouch, we would probably walk right off cliffs or ignore illnesses until it was too late.
Character Development Requires Friction
Nobody gets stronger by lifting styrofoam weights or sitting on the couch eating potato chips all day long. Muscles tear before they build, and our internal character seems to follow that exact same painful pattern.
A report by Intercommunity Action found that people said a traumatic event was a catalyst for positive change. Hardship often carves out a depth in us that happiness simply cannot create on its own.
Natural Laws Must Be Consistent
For the universe to function, gravity has to work the same way for a saint as it does for a criminal. If God constantly suspended the laws of physics to prevent accidents, the world would be chaotic and unpredictable.
We rely on fire to cook our food and keep us warm, but that same fire can burn down a house. You cannot have the benefits of a consistent physical world without the potential dangers that come with it.
Interconnectedness Means Shared Consequences
We like to think we are islands, but we are actually more like a giant web of tangled Christmas lights. When one person makes a mistake or falls down, it inevitably yanks on the cord connected to someone else.
The World Health Organization reported in 2025 that one in seven people globally live with a mental disorder, often triggered by relational stress. Our lives are so tightly woven together that one person’s snap decision can vibrate through dozens of other lives.
The Contrast Theory Of Happiness
You would never appreciate a warm sunny day if you had never shivered through a freezing cold winter storm. We often need the backdrop of difficulty to truly see the brilliance of the good times we experience.
It sounds like a cliché greeting card, but shadows prove the light exists and make us value the dawn. Constant pleasure would eventually become numbingly dull because we would have nothing to compare it against.
Suffering Builds Empathy For Others
It is hard to understand what someone is going through until you have walked a mile in their uncomfortable shoes. Going through your own dark valley gives you the map to help someone else find their way out.
Research by the British Psychological Society indicates that people who have experienced past suffering show higher levels of empathy. Your past hurt becomes a tool that lets you comfort others with genuine understanding.
Limits Of Human Understanding
Trying to understand the entire cosmos with our brains is like trying to download the internet onto a floppy disk. We simply do not have the capacity to see the grand blueprint or how the puzzle pieces fit.
A 2023 Gallup poll revealed that 74 percent of Americans believe in God, yet still struggle to comprehend life events. We see a single thread while the creator might be looking at the entire tapestry from a distance.
The Role Of Entropy And Decay
Everything in our physical existence eventually wears down, from the tires on your car to the cells in your body. This natural process of decay is baked into the biology of a finite world that has a beginning and an end.
The National Council on Aging data from 2025 shows that chronic conditions affect 93% of older adults aged 65 and above in the US. Biology dictates that things fall apart so that new life can eventually take its place in the cycle.
Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information. It is not intended to be professional advice.
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