Why God Let's Us Suffer - Finding Purpose From Our Pain
Because God wanted to make it possible for us to be able to love, He had to give us genuine freedom, because love can only exist as a choice. But in our freedom, we can also choose evil, and, infact, the fall took place, and we live in an imperfect world where there is suffering. Also, a perfect angel, Satan, fell and now lives evilly with other fallen angels in opposition to God, causing suffering.
The Bible points out that there are many reasons why God lets us experience this suffering.
When we understand the purpose of our suffering, it becomes easier for us to continue to trust and love God, and by this He is then able to bring the good out of it that He wants for us.
Therefore, it is advisable after reading over this list of purposes from the Bible, to seek Christian counsel and pray to God for discernment as to the particular purposes and good He wants to bring to your life out of your pain and suffering.
To Test Us - Genesis 22:1-18, Deut. 8:1-18, Job, Isaiah 48:10, James 1:12
our heart - Deut. 8:1-2, Jer. 11:20
our faith - James 1:2-4, I Pet. 1:6-7
our obedience - Deuteronomy 8:1-2
our mind - Jer. 11:20
Because of Persecution - Psalm 27, Jer. 11:18-23, Jer. 26:1-11, Mat. 5:10-12, Mat. 10: 16-33, 13:21, 23:34-35, 24:9-13, Mark 13:9-13, Luke 6:22-23, John 15:18-22, 16:1-4, Acts (many verses), Rom. 8:35, I Cor. 4:9-13, II Cor. 4:7-11, 6:3-10, 11:23-25, Gal. 6:12, II Thess. 1:3-5, II Timothy 3:12
To Humble Us - Deut. 8:2-16, Isaiah 1:21-26, 38:15-17, Daniel 4:29-37, II Cor. 1:8-11, 7:13-14
So That We Will Share In Christ's Sufferings - Rom. 7:16-17, 8:17, II Cor. 1:5, 4: 6-12, Gal. 2:20, 6:17, Phil. 1:29-30, 3:10, Col. 1:24, II Tim. 1:8-12, I Pet. 4:12-19
As Discipline From God - Deut. 8:1-5, Jer. 2:30, 5:3, Ezek. 14, I Cor. 11:32, Heb. 12:4-11
Because of the Devil - Job, John 17:15, II Cor. 12:7, I Pet. 5:8-11, Rev. 2:10
Because of Our Sin - From Ourself - Jer. 2:19, 4:18-19, 17:5, 25:7, Micah 6:13, John 5:1-15, Rom. 7:14-25
From a Fallen Creation - Rom. 8:10
Corporately - I Kings 8:33
To Develop Our Character - Rom. 5:3-4, II Cor. 1:6-10, II Thess. 1:3-4, James 1:2-4, 5:10-11
Especially Perseverance, Hope, Faith, and Patience
To Stop Us From Sinning - Deut. 19:16-21, II Chr. 7:13-14, Isaiah 1:21-26, 4:4, Jer. 5:1-5, Ezek. 14 (all), 24:13-14, Mal 3:3, John 15:2
To Cause Us To Turn To and Rely On God - I Kings 8:33, II Chr. 7:13-14, Isaiah 1:21-26, Ezek. 5:5-13, 6:1-10, II Cor. 1:8-11
To Teach Us - Deut. 8:1-3, Psalm 119:71, Isaiah 26:9
As Judgment By God - Isaiah 51:17-20, Ezek. 5:5-13, and chapters 6, 21, 25, 26, 29, 31, 32
So We Become More Fruitful In Our Life For God - John 15:1-17
So We Will Obey and Live for God - Isaiah 1:21-26, Ezek. 14, Heb. 5:8, I Pet. 4:1-2
Because It Reveals God To People Who Will Not Know Him Otherwise Because Of Their Rejection of Him - Ezek. 6:1-7, 14:7-8, 20:25-26, 28:1-16, 29 (all), 30:1-8, 19-26, 32:15, 35 (all), 38-39 (all), Dan. 4:29-37, Hos. 5:15
So God's Grace and Power Can Be On Us, and Shine Through Us As From God and Not From Us - John 9:2-3, 11:4, II Cor. 4:7-12, 12:7-10
So That We Develop Compassion - II Cor. 1:3-7
As Punishment From God - Deut. 8:1-9, Isaiah 9:13-17, Jer. 2:34-35, 11:18-23, Ezek. 21 (all)
So That We Can Be a Good Example For Others In How We Handle It - II Cor. 11:16-12:10, I Thess. 1:6-7, I Pet. 2:19-21
So We Appreciate The Glory of God and of Heaven - Ezek. 38-39 (all), Rom 8:18, II Cor. 4:17, Rev. 21:1-5
It Causes Us to Appreciate Christ's Sufferings For Us More - Rom. 5:6-8, Heb. 2:9-18
Death can be to Keep Us From Experiencing Evil On Earth - Isaiah 57:1-2
So That In the End, Things Will Go Well For Us - Deut. 8:1-16, John 15:2, Rom. 8:28
For the Sake Of The Church - Col. 1:24
To Motivate Us to Seek Other's Salvation - II Cor. 1:6
To Motivate Us to Share Our Experiences with Others - II Cor. 1:7
So God Can Deliver Us - II Cor. 1:10
So We Will Pray - II Cor. 1:10-11
So We Have Thankfulness (When It Is Over) - II Cor. 1:11
"We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, and have been called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful people, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1-3
"Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy. He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him."
Psalm 126:5-6