We, as humans, have dozens of questions that we would like to ask God. He probably has them categorized and labeled with something like “frequently asked questions.”

 One of God’s FAQs would have to be: Why do bad things happen to good people

How could a loving God allow trusting people to lose a child, suffer with cancer, get laid off or fired Why would a godly person be forced into bankruptcy, depression, loneliness Why should a “good” person be involved in a natural disaster or any negative situation over which he or she had no control

Wouldn’t it be more logical to assume that God would protect his own Would he not reward his faithful ones with a stress-free life Why does God permit the most obedient of followers to endure agony

Part of the answer lies in a broader definition of love than we are used to. Love is associated with words like good, positive, fun and excitement. Hate, on the other hand, carries with it pain, suffering, guilt and punishment. Love is a positive; hate is a negative. When we suffer, we assume that we are being punished for our wrongdoing, disciplined for our poor choices.

We tend to forget the discipline of loving parents. They are acting in our best interest when they withhold the fun things from us when we disobey. They realize that we learn by making poor choices and by suffering the consequences of those choices.

But these examples apply to situations where a conscious choice was made to disobey. The negative consequences were the result of our poor choice. Stands to reason.

But what of the situations where we did the right thing or made choices that seemed to be the right ones, or made no choice at all How do we explain the pain and heartache when we were literally “innocent victims” There were negative consequences for no apparent reason. There was no traceable cause and effect.

What then How do we deal with that kind of pain

Suffering of all kinds produces growth. We learn. We grow through the unpleasant times in life. We become more mature, more able to face similar situations in our lives when they arise again. We are more prepared to face trying times in our own live, or in the lives of others, when we have experienced them before. In addition, we turn for help, strength and comfort to God in the worst of times, an act of worship. The ability to endure great hardship with dignity and hope comes only from God. Pain drives us to God as nothing else can. We recognize that we are powerless to fix the situation. Only he can give us the comfort that we seek. We initially look to God for answers. With time, we realize that we are not seeking answers as much as we are seeking to be comforted. Only he can provide that comfort. The choice is ours — we become bitter or better.

Some of the greatest examples of suffering in the Bible were Job, the apostle Paul and Jesus himself. All three endured extreme hardship and personal pain. All three enjoyed the closest of relationships with God the Father. All were committed to God’s will. Yet each received in his life extra measures of suffering that few have had to endure. All were used by God to demonstrate the need to suffer in order to learn the truths of God in powerful and practical ways.

Suffering can build trust in God like nothing else. We may never have to go through the agony of Job, of Paul or of Christ. But every time we deny ourselves and suffer in some way to call attention to the good news of the Bible, God is pleased and his son is lifted up before a doubting world.

We do not presume to understand the full mind and heart of God. But we can  believe the basic truths revealed so clearly in the Bible. God loves us and pursues us. He wants us to love him in return. We cannot have a proper relationship with God and serve him unless we approach him through his son who died for us. We need only believe that Jesus’ death was necessary to allow us to enter the very presence of God. But to be at peace with God and to be the ambassadors he created us to be, we need to grow stronger in our faith by turning to him for strength during the trials and challenges of this life.

Why do bad things happen to good people Because God loves us and wants us to love him in spite of our circumstances. When we love him in our agony, we are trusting his promise to turn even the worst of hurts into eventual joy. We are giving him permission to do what he knows is best for us. Godly suffering is a conscious choice. It is an act of worship.

To contact the Rev. Jim Bush, a pastor of Heartland Church, e-mail jimb@heartlandchurch.net. All religious leaders in the Tracy community are invited to write columns for Reflections on Faith.