Why do innocent children suffer?

Question: Why to innocent babies and young children suffer at no fault of their own when God could stop it?

Answer: In one sense there are no innocent people on earth. Because of Adam’s disobedience and because he is/was our race’s head and his decision determined our fate (of course, we would have chosen the same way), we are under the penalty of sin and the world has been subjected to futility (Romans 8:18) so that there is much suffering in the world. No one deserves to have a perfect life and yet God still chooses to bless the good and the bad (Matthew 5:43-48).

Still, that does not usually make us feel better when we see helpless children suffering through no fault of their own, that is, at the irresponsibility of others who should have been taking care of them. I do not know why God allows this. All I do know is that I trust that God is good, loving, righteous, and wise beyond all my abilities and that He can be trusted when He says that His plan is good. He has the ability to take what was a bad, perhaps even torturous, experience and turn it into something powerful. It may not be in this life, however, and Romans 8:18 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 seem to suggest that the more we suffer here the more glory will be ours in the kingdom.

We do know from 2 Corinthians 1 that God wants to show us His comfort in our pain so that we can share it with others. The things we suffer as children are to be used to shape our ministry to others.

 

One reader’s response: “I do not know why God allows this.” Thank you. Thank you so much, for answering this way. I feel so many Christians lose credibility when they try to give an answer for everything! This is a perfectly acceptable answer. No one knows everything. Thank you.