When Life Hurts: Where’s God in All This?

You’ve probably asked it.
You’ve definitely felt it.

“If God is so good, why does life hurt so much?”

Maybe you’ve seen someone you love go through something awful. Maybe you’ve walked through it yourself. A diagnosis. A betrayal. A loss that just doesn’t make sense. And in the middle of the pain, it’s easy to wonder…

Where’s God?
And if He’s there… why isn’t He stopping it?

Let’s be honest—this isn’t a question that needs a fancy theological response. It needs a real one.

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way

Pain wasn’t part of the original design. God didn’t create a broken world—He created a beautiful one. One full of life, connection, and purpose.

But love comes with a choice.
And people—well… we’ve made some choices.

Sin entered the scene. Not just the big, scary kind—but the quiet, everyday kind. Selfishness. Greed. Injustice. And just like a crack in the foundation, broken choices led to a broken world.

And a broken world means we deal with pain. Not because God wants us to—but because He lets us choose.

Pain Isn’t Pointless

Here’s the plot twist: God doesn’t waste pain.

Sometimes pain is a wake-up call.
Sometimes it builds strength.
Sometimes it shifts our priorities, draws us closer, makes us more compassionate, more aware, more real.

And sometimes… it just hurts.

But God doesn’t disappear in the middle of it. In fact, it’s often in our hardest moments that we discover Him more clearly.

God Doesn’t Just Watch — He Weeps

If you’ve ever imagined God as distant or uncaring, you’re missing the most important part of the story.

Jesus—God in human flesh—walked right into the middle of our mess. He knew what it meant to be rejected. To suffer. To cry. To feel the sting of death and the weight of sorrow.

So when you hurt, He doesn’t shrug.
He gets it.
And He walks with you in it.

Hope Still Has the Final Word

Pain may be part of the story—but it’s not the end.

There’s a promise for those who trust Him:

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…” (Revelation 21:4)

God doesn’t promise a pain-free life. But He does promise His presence. His peace. And a future where all the broken things are made whole again.

So What Do You Do When Life Hurts?

• Talk to God honestly. He can handle your questions. He already knows your thoughts.
• Don’t isolate. Pain loves to isolate, but healing comes in community.
• Let it shape you, not stop you. Pain might slow you down, but it doesn’t have to define you.
• Remember, Jesus gets it. You’re not alone. Not even close.
  
  

Just a Thought…

If pain is part of the journey… maybe it’s not proof that God’s absent.
Maybe it’s the very place He meets us the most.