“Closer Look” is a weekly blog meant to encourage Christians by providing biblical answers to questions we have regarding theology, biblical passages, ethics, and more. The goal is that God would be glorified, the saints edified, and that the world would bear witness to the sufficiency of Scripture!

Is there purpose in my pain?

(Published: November 19, 2024)

Q: Why does God allow us to get sick with an illness, and remain sick, without ever being completely healed?

A: If the question is why God allows us to have a specific illness, and what is the benefit for us, then fundamentally the most accurate, biblical answer is . . . I do not know. In this we can only weep with one another, lean on one another, and go to the LORD in prayer on behalf of one another. However, the Bible gives us priceless treasures for us to embrace together as His Church despite relentless acute and/or chronic suffering. In short, we can know without a doubt that our suffering will result in God’s glory and that includes His use of our suffering to transform us into the image of Christ. As I hope to unpack below, this results not only in God’s glory but our comfort and peace despite the presence of chronic and/or acute illness.

First, we know that all of our physical suffering will result in the glory of God. The Apostle Paul makes this clear that “from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). So, our suffering is a part of “all things” and therefore our suffering is “to him”, meaning, it points to Him and will ultimately result in His glory. But how? I think the apostle helps us understand this in Romans 8.

Our suffering will result in God’s glory because He is using it to transform us further into the image of Jesus Christ. In Romans 8, the apostle Paul writes: [a]nd we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (8:28). There is nothing outside the scope of the assertion. “All things . . . work together for good” for Christ’s Church (“those who are called according to his purpose”). What is the “good” that “all things” work together for in our lives? The immediate context of Romans 8:28 gives shape and trajectory these questions

“29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

(Rom. 8:29-30).

In other words, everything that happens in our lives as believers is being used by God to shape us into the image of Jesus Christ and complete our salvation upon His return. Unfolding this further, everything we experience, every pain, every suffering, at its fundamental and most vital level has divine purpose for our lives. So we can say that, yes, we might not be able to see how our chronic/acute pain and suffering will bring glory to God but we can see clearly what our physical suffering will result in: our Christlikeness. Yes, we know that the sovereign, all powerful, all wise, holy loving God is using our suffering for our good, which is to further shape us into the image of Christ. In turn, as sinners are not only reborn, but transformed into the image of Son of God, Jesus Christ, this divine activity, and every step along the way (including our suffering in sickness), points to Him. God is glorified as the heavenly host bear witness to this miracle of cursed sinners being brought to spiritual life and glowing with every increasing intensity of the glory of God–even in times of suffering (Eph. 3:7-13).  

So the question is why does God choose to allow us as His beloved to suffer illness without healing. Thus far, the Bible tell us (i) our chronic suffering will result in God receiving glory; and the chief example that we are given of how He receives glory in our suffering is (ii) our suffering is part of God’s work of transforming us into the image of Jesus Christ. How does all of this mesh together? What does it look like for all of these biblical principles to be lived out, together? Once again, we turn to the Apostle Paul.

In Second Corinthians, Paul writes of being inflicted with a thorn in his flesh, “a messenger of Satan to harass” him (12:7). Whatever this thorn was, it is clear that Paul was suffering. Paul asks the LORD three times to remove the cause of his suffering and the LORD did not remove the thorn (12:9-9). So Paul places himself in the context of the question of this post: why is Paul being allowed to suffer without relief? When we look at the LORD’s response, and how that shaped Paul’s view of his own unrelenting suffering, we see all the biblical principles of Romans 8 and 9 discussed above coming together:  

"8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:8-10).

When Paul was left completely dependent and leaning on the LORD, the LORD’s power “was made perfect” (God’s glory witnessed in His power manifested in Paul’s life); the “power of Christ” rested upon the apostle (pointing again to God’s glory); and so for Christ sake (for His glory) Paul said he is now content with “weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities). Unbelievably breathtaking! We see the principles of Romans 8 and 9 living out before us in Paul’s life!  

Paul asked for his suffering to stop but the LORD said no. Paul then learned that in those times of unrelenting suffering God was glorified in Paul’s life because Paul was demonstrating Christlike character in dependence upon God. As a result, God’s power in Christ was demonstrated in Paul–shining as a beacon for the world to witness in Paul’s suffering. Hence, God received the glory!

Notice the shift? Paul went from “remove this thorn” to “I am content with weakness, hardship and calamity.” What happened between these two assertions? Suffering not taken away and God's grace in Christ invading Paul's life! Unrelenting suffering, sanctification, God glorified! Scripture is truly amazing. 

Pain is real. Suffering is not easy. Our shoulders, and hands, and our ears need to be ready to bear the burden of illness and pain with each other and so fulfill the law of Christ. Further, these truths are not meant to make us cavalier in the light of the risk of pain and illness in this fallen world. (Instead, I would argue they promote humility and growing dependence upon the Triune God.) However, these are the truths of God for His people in times of illness . . . and they bring us a treasure trove of hope for seasons of suffering pain.

May God give us all the strength in grace when we are burdened with unrelenting suffering to see His divine brush strokes in our lives. To see that each second of our suffering is moving us on a trajectory of Christ glowing, God glorifying lives.