Pain and suffering are universal experiences that raise difficult questions about God’s goodness and purpose. In this sermon from February 15, 2026, Pastor Josh White explores what the Bible teaches about suffering and how God uses it for our eternal good.
Why Do We Struggle With Suffering?
Most people don’t like to suffer. We prefer ease, enjoyment, comfort, peace, and all the good feelings this life can offer. When we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we often assume that means victory over sin and death—a happily ever after begins. But when we read through the Bible, we discover a different picture.
One of the biggest reasons people say they don’t believe in God is the problem of suffering. They ask: “If there is a good God who created all of this, why is there pain and suffering in the world?” This logic seems sound on the surface, but it’s based on a wrong assumption.
The Bible teaches us the right way to look at pain and suffering. And if we just look at life in general, we see that good things often come through suffering. Athletes don’t win gold medals without years of training and suffering. People don’t become doctors or lawyers without years of difficult study. Suffering is part of life, and good things come from it.
Acts 9: The Proof of Suffering
Before looking at Colossians, we need to understand what God revealed to Paul on the road to Damascus. In Acts chapter 9, God told Ananias about Saul (later Paul):
“He is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”
— Acts 9:15-16
This wasn’t payback for Paul’s past persecution of the church. God was saying: “I saved Paul to be used for my eternal purpose, and he will experience suffering both for his own benefit and for the sake of others, so that Jesus Christ is glorified.” God uses suffering as a powerful tool to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:24 – Rejoicing in Sufferings
Now let us look at our passage for today from Colossians 1:24:
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, the church.”
— Colossians 1:24
Paul wrote this about 25-30 years after his conversion. He was in prison, suffering, yet he said he rejoiced in his sufferings. This is remarkable when we consider all he had been through—three missionary journeys, beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, and persecution.
Six Reasons Why God Allows His Children to Suffer
In this sermon, Pastor Josh shares six reasons why God allows his children to suffer. Today we will look at the first three.
1. Our Sufferings Draw Us Back to God
Sometimes suffering is the only way to get our attention and draw us back to God. When we experience pain, we look for help and escape. Where do we turn? Usually to God.
A specific type of suffering is the suffering of loss. When we lose things in our life, whatever it is, we suffer—and that can draw us closer to our Father.
Paul lost everything when he became a follower of Jesus Christ. He was a top-ranking Pharisese with power, status, influence, and perhaps wealth. When he became a Christian, he lost it all. But listen to what he said in Philippians 3:
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ.”
— Philippians 3:8-9
Paul said all those accomplishments were nothing compared to knowing Christ and having his righteousness. Everything that kept him away from Christ was only lost when he lost it all—and then he found that his life was infinitely better.
This reminds us of Solomon in Ecclesiastes, who chased all the good things in life and found they were nothing but “chasing the wind.” Sometimes God allows us to pursue good things knowing that once we get them, we will realize we were just chasing the wind—and in that process, we suffer so that we will go back to Him.
The parable of the prodigal son illustrates this perfectly. The son had everything—a relationship with his father, inheritance, job, property, and purpose. But he wanted something “better” out there. The father allowed him to go, knowing the only way for his son to appreciate their relationship was to suffer loss.
When the son ended up feeding pigs and “came to his senses,” he realized life with his father was infinitely better than everything he had pursued. It was only possible after suffering.
2. Our Suffering Proves We Belong to Christ
Sometimes our suffering, specifically persecution, serves as proof that we belong to Christ. If the gospel of God’s grace is true and Jesus has conquered sin and death, then Satan does not want the world to know about this hope.
In Ephesians 6:12, Paul writes:
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
— Ephesians 6:12
If we are going to live for Jesus Christ, we too will experience this kind of suffering. In 1 Peter 4:12-19, Peter encourages us:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”
— 1 Peter 4:12-13
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. When we suffer for our faith, it proves that it’s real—and it forces us to draw close to God and rely on His power.
3. Our Suffering Refocuses Our Hope
We are always hoping in something. When we suffer, we realize this stuff doesn’t even matter—we need to refocus our hope. The greatest thing we can have is a relationship with Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life.
In Romans 8:18-23, Paul writes:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us… And not only the creation, but we ourselves who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we eagerly wait for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”
— Romans 8:18, 23
Suffering helps us give up putting our hope in the things of this world and truly embrace what God has planned for us. We’re not home yet. When we get to heaven, there will be no suffering—but until then, we wait, and we will suffer.
Where is your hope? If it’s in something other than Jesus Christ and our future with Him, you will be disappointed. If your hope is in status, wealth, or an easy life, you’re going to suffer loss.
The Connection to Communion
This sermon ends with communion, which is fitting because we only have hope because Christ suffered. He benefited through His suffering because it made Him perfect, and His death was the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins. He had to suffer to become that perfect sacrifice.
We benefited—we benefit everything—eternity because of the sufferings of Christ. As we take communion, we remember that Christ willingly suffered the full wrath of God so that we wouldn’t have to.
Conclusion
If you’re here today suffering, it means you’re alive and in this world. What does God want us to do? He wants us to allow our suffering to do what He intended: draw us closer to Him, serve as proof that we are His children, and ultimately refocus our hope where it should be.
As Pastor Josh said, if you’re experiencing persecution, loss, or hardships, pray that God will open your eyes to see how good and loving He is. This is His invitation for you to run back to Him. It can serve as proof that you are His true child, and it’s the way we can grow and mature and become strong and faithful.
Scripture References
- Acts 9:15-16 — Paul’s calling and suffering
- Colossians 1:24 — Rejoicing in suffering for the church
- Philippians 3:8-9 — Counting all things as loss for Christ
- Ephesians 6:12 — Spiritual warfare
- 1 Peter 4:12-13 — Rejoicing in sharing Christ’s sufferings
- Romans 8:18, 23 — Sufferings not compare to glory