Well, why will God allow us to suffer as Christians if that suffering will harm our faith?

It's a question that comes in from an international listener.

Pastor John, hello.

My name is Bernice.

I'm 21 years old and live in Kenya, East Africa.

My question stems from doubt in God's good nature that crept in while talking to my

friend about trusting God with her life and choosing to follow Jesus above all else.

She won't, and she won't because she says following God will simply mean additional

suffering and going through more trials that he causes or allows to happen before we

can enjoy his goodness.

I wonder if she's right.

Her point of view has made me question God's goodness.

Why would he cause pain to someone who trusted in him completely?

Why would he allow them to suffer in ways that may injure their faith in him?

Why believe if it just opens us up to more suffering?

Bernice's friend understands something almost correctly.

Sometimes almost is really good and sometimes almost is a total loss.

If you're playing baseball and you hit a long drive over the outfielders head and you

almost get a triple, but have to settle for a double, everybody's happy.

In baseball, a double is great.

So almost a triple is great, but if you're at bat and you've got two strikes and you swing

at the next pitch and you almost hit the ball, you're out.

...