Suffering Children | Features

God gets a lot of bad press when it comes to children. You must have heard someone say "why does God allow children to suffer?" We have all heard of sick and starving children in the third world, the little girl abused and murdered or the child with an incurable sickness. All of these situations make people ask questions. One sad thing is the way in which we seem to naturally want to blame God for bad things that happen, and yet don't think to thank him for the many good things we have in life.

Something inside us wants to apportion blame when things go wrong.

Something inside us wants to apportion blame when things go wrong. Our problem is a long term neglect in our society of understanding who God is. The God of the Bible is someone who wanted a people of his own, so he made mankind. He made life fulfilling and perfect, but with a single rule. The consequences of breaking that rule had been clearly explained, but were ignored. Because of a three letter word that is unfashionable - 'sin', death and corruption came into the world. Since that time things have gone very wrong in our world.

God made man in his own image – like God we have free will. God also gave the earth to us, to look after. Through the centuries we have used our free will to make things worse for each other – all you need to do is see the news to know that this is true.

Why doesn't God do something about it then?

So why doesn't God do something about it then? Remember the free will bit? Remember the earth is given to man? If a double glazing salesman said the windows were yours, then came and took them back, you would take him to court. If a man forced himself on an unwilling woman, you would call him a rapist and have him thrown in jail. God gave us the earth and our own free will – how can he go back on what he has said. To force us to do what he wants would be "rape". To trick us into doing the right thing would be deceit. To make us obey would be slavery. To remove our free will would be changing us from mankind into robots.

A free will allows us to choose our God, and God wants to be chosen. When death came into the world, God already had a plan to bring in life. He took his son, his only son, Jesus and had him punished for everything wrong that we have done. The punishment was so severe that he died. Then God raised Jesus from the dead to prove that sin was dealt with and there was life for everyone who believes.

God made it easy – all you have to do is recognise your failure and need of forgiveness, and then ask God for a relationship with him. Then life is triggered inside you and a new life is possible. Contrary to popular myth, God is real, he does love you and you can talk to him.

Does God want children to suffer? No! Is it in God's plan? No! Does it happen? Yes! – Lots of 'stuff' happens.

Reach out now.

God is as near to you as you want him to be. If you reach out now he is there waiting to hold you. Here at the Ark, we believe and know that God is good. Sometimes life is tough, but that doesn't change the fact that God is good. We work with families suffering childhood cancer because God is good.

Get to know a good God; knowing him will make the questions less important and the answers more vivid.