Possible causes of suffering…
1. We don’t know everything.
2. A higher purpose – a wake-up call from God, to get our attention. God’s megaphone to a deaf world, being allowed by God to bring us to our own end and to repent for our higher eternal good.
3. We are all in this together – overall, our own human fault, as we have free will. If all life was only from evolution, our suffering would be far more, so it is better than would be expected.
4. There is suffering greater than any on this earth – Hell forever.
5. Jesus suffered the most, by taking our penalty for our rebellion against God, even though he was perfect. Jesus suffered to bring some of us to God, and so we could avoid further suffering…
6. Discipline for our straying sometimes – God treating those who love him as his children.
7. An early judgement – Sodom and Gomorrah as an example.
8. Satan was described as the ‘prince of this world’ and the ‘father of lies’ by Jesus. He messes things up supremely, and must be laughing how many people don’t even believe that he exists!
9. God made everything perfectly at creation – no death or suffering initially.
10. God will bring complete justice in the end.
