Most of us want an answer that is more than a slogan.
We want to know whether suffering has any meaning, whether God sees us, and whether there is hope when life feels broken.
I have been reading Timothy Keller’s Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, which reflects on how the Christian faith speaks into pain and loss.
Keller reminds readers that suffering is not random or meaningless when seen in the light of Jesus.
At the centre of Christianity is the news that Jesus Christ died on the cross for humanity’s sin and rose again from the dead.
Through him, people can be forgiven, restored to God, and given a hope that suffering cannot finally destroy.
One powerful example is the life of Joni Eareckson Tada.
As a teenager, Joni dived into shallow water while swimming, misjudged the depth, and fractured her spine.
The accident left her unable to move from the shoulders down.
In a single moment, her plans for the future changed completely.
Joni did not pretend that her suffering was easy.
She struggled deeply with grief, fear, and the loss of the life she had imagined.
Yet in that darkness, she began to discover that God had not abandoned her.
Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
For Joni, that promise became more than words on a page. It became a lifeline.
Over time, Joni learned to hold a paintbrush between her teeth.
What began as part of her recovery became a way to create beauty and encourage others.
Later, through writing, speaking, and practical care for people with disabilities, her life began pointing many people to the hope found in Jesus.
This does not mean suffering is good in itself. Pain, grief, sickness, and loss are real.
Christianity does not ask us to call evil good or to hide our tears.
Instead, the Bible points us to Jesus, who entered human suffering himself.
At the cross, he carried the weight of our sin and brokenness.
In his resurrection, he opened the way to forgiveness, new life, and lasting hope.
That is why suffering can have a reason, even when we cannot see it clearly at the time.
God can use suffering to draw us closer to him, to deepen our trust, and to show his strength in our weakness.
The Apostle Paul heard God say,“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Joni’s life is a reminder that weakness does not place a person beyond God’s reach. It can become a place where his grace is seen more clearly.
The Christian message is not simply that we should become nicer or more resilient people. It is that Jesus Christ calls us back to God.
Through his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, he offers forgiveness, new life, and hope that can hold us even in suffering.
If you are carrying pain, disappointment, or questions you cannot answer, do not leave them unanswered in silence.
Bring them to Jesus. Read one of the Gospels. Pray honestly. Speak with a Christian friend or visit a local church and ask what it means to be made right with God.
Joni’s story does not explain every mystery, but it does point us to a greater hope: suffering is not forgotten by God, it is not without purpose, and even in hardship our lives can point beyond ourselves to the glory of God.
– Pastor Samuel Jacob, Lifesource Church, Echuca
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