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People often ask me, "How can God be both a loving Father and a righteous Judge?"

A related question is, "And why is there suffering?"

Just a few words:

God is sovereign and in perfect control of everything that happens- and good and the bad. That is phenomenal! (If one truly understands what that means...)

This gives us hope and comfort - for even if we are undergoing hardships, we know that it is part of God's perfect will for our lives - He is in control! It is not merely the result of chance, or randomness, or fate or anything else - for then there is no point or purpose to it all... no reason means no hope or comfort. 

And while it may seem like pure insanity, because of the fact that God is sovereign, we can rejoice in trials, endure, persevere in hardships (Romans 5:1-4, Hebrews 10:23, James 1:2-4, 1 Peter 4:12-14, 19).

But then what is the point, or purpose, of our suffering?

 C.S Lewis wrote in the book "The Problem of Pain" this: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world."

The first point of suffering is salvation. God is calling you home! It is better for one to suffer here for years, if it opens their eyes and causes them to repent and so experience eternal blessing in the future -life after death! And so when one looks at suffering in that light, then it is actually a blessing - God speaking to you in your pain, calling you back to Himself, His graciousness in working in your life through loss and heart-breaking times, showing us that not is all right in our lives... "God is too wise and loving to make any mistakes."

“In a word, suffering destroys our self delusion that we are in control, that we are demi-gods: when we suffer, we know where we are and it’s not at the centre of the universe. Thus, whilst suffering (be it physical, natural or emotional), is an effect of evil, being a privation of the good, it can lead us to a recognition of our creaturely place in the universe and hence to find out true "orientation".”

Painful experiences are God’s gracious reminders that earth is not our true home.

On an aside: One needs to have the correct definition of love!

It is more than just 'mere kindness' - but rather real love looks out for the best interests of the beloved, sometimes requiring the inflicting of a painful experience – like a father disciplining his child. If we, with our selfish and finite minds, asked God to take away pain we would be asking Him to love us less. The ultimate goal of this ‘perfecting’ is redemption (coming to Know God personally), because what is best for all of humanity is God – we were created by Him, for Him and will only be content, or truly happy, when we are with Him.

"Love, in its own nature, demands the perfecting of the beloved; that the mere 'kindness' which tolerates anything except suffering in its object is, in that respect, at the opposite pole from Love...Love may forgive all infirmities and love still in spite of them: but Love cannot cease to will their removal." (Also written by C.S. Lewis in the 'Problem of Pain') 

The second point of suffering is sanctification. One may ask, "But I am saved - so why am I still suffering?" Suffering refines our faith, tests us, purifies us, makes us more like Christ! Just as Jesus suffered, so as His followers, we fellow in His footsteps (Matthew 5:10-12, 2 Timothy 3:12, 1 Peter 1:3-9)

Jesus too, innocently suffered, horrifically crucified on the cross, in my place, in your place, taking our deserved punishment so that we don't have to. Instead, because of His suffering, we do not have to suffer for all of eternity! We can enter a right relationship with God, and when our life one day ends, we can come Home...

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."

He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:3-7)