When we truly love someone, we want a genuine and close relationship with that person. Similarly, God loves every one of us deeply, and He wants a genuine relationship with us. A truly loving and genuine relationship cannot stem from a place of control. Thankfully, the Lord thoughtfully chose to give us free will, thus making a genuine relationship with Him and others possible. Even so, many people wonder, “If God is love, then why does He allow trials, tribulation, and evil?” Our omniscient God has a far greater understanding than we do as He can always see the whole picture (2 Corinthians 12:9, 1 Peter 5:10).
If we were to never experience trials, would we truly see the need to humble ourselves, draw near to God, and seek a genuine relationship with Him? Would we truly have empathy, compassion, or care to help others? Even if we still would, God has a way of working within our hearts when we choose to draw near to Him, giving us the opportunity to become more rooted in our faith while deepening our ability to continue growing with Him in these areas (1 Peter 1:6-7, James 1:2-4). Transformation of the heart toward Christlikeness takes place with a close relationship with God.
With the free will we are given, everything is a choice. This makes everything more genuine and gives us the opportunity to love more deeply. This is a choice for each individual to make that we are individually responsible for. Some choose to do more evil, whereas others choose to do more good (Deuteronomy 30:19, Ecclesiastes 12:14). Our decisions often affect others, whether negatively or positively. Although this may not always be easy, our appreciation for others who strive to love like Christ can grow stronger. It is also a reminder to continually depend on God who is good and works for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
Our God who always keeps His promises also comforts us in various ways. He has promised to defeat evil and save His people when He brings final judgement in His perfect timing. There will be no evil in the presence of God and His people in Heaven, nor will there be suffering (Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 21:4, Revelation 7:16-17). God gives us hope, even through the struggles in life, as we live by faith regarding His promise and find joy in Him with thankfulness (Romans 8:18, Habakkuk 2:3-4, Habakkuk 3:17-19). Although much more biblical wisdom on the matter could surely be considered as well, simply recognizing the Lord’s sovereignty allows us to find security in Him and reminds us that there is an ultimate purpose for good (Romans 5:3-4, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
