Why Does God Allow Suffering? Financial Bumps, Closed Pools, and a Skeptic's Questions

Nora Gwen

4 days ago

9 min read

Swimmer backstrokes in a dark lake under storm clouds, arm splashing water, with forested hills in the distance.

As much as I want to share with you the intimate details of our latest financial dilemma, I am prompted by The Spirit to wait on The Lord until the solution has been provided and then share the circumstances after the manna has rained down.

I was tempted to call it a “financial hardship,” but that wouldn’t be keeping it real. It’s merely a bump in the road until God answers our prayers with a way out, which He is always faithful to do.

Disruptions to the Swimming Routine

Regarding the swimming aspect of this topic, it’s rather ironic that the goal of swimming consistently as my preferred workout and the dream of owning our own swimming pool have both been suspended indefinitely.

I had been praying for wisdom and discernment in the area of this dream specifically and was given some clear guidance. The truth is that our property, although big enough in size, is not at all conducive to accommodating a swimming pool because of the steep slopes and boulders. Not to mention the fact that we would have to finance a building project of that magnitude, which, truth be told, is not within our budget (and may never be). I am grateful for Dave Ramsey’s wisdom in his Financial Peace books and courses, where he clearly states the opposite of “The American Way” in the principle that reminds us: if you can’t comfortably afford it outright with cash right now, don’t buy it.

Recently, I came to terms of acceptance with this reality and decided to focus on gratitude for my local gym membership, where I am able to swim laps in place of owning my own pool or swim spa. Then today happened. I drove to the gym at 5-dark-30 in the morning, only to find that the pool was closed again indefinitely. There has also been a whole runaround with freezing my membership each time the pool is out of commission, which I am still working to resolve.

Once again, I fully recognize that these are all “Woe is me, first-world problems” nowhere near resembling a real financial hardship. I know better than to feel sorry for myself for not having access to luxury living. I also know that I can replace my swim workouts with hikes and may even be better off for it as I continue trusting God to make my paths straight.

Engaging in Deep Dialogue

On a related note, I have put together a few samples of the kinds of conversations Notch and I engage in sometimes on my stories and often on others’ stories of mutual interest — each of us with polar-opposite agendas. We strive to hear one another out, hopefully modeling how to respectfully agree to disagree, even if nothing else is accomplished by our friendly banter.

Dialogue Transcription: Notch vs. Nora Gwen

From Zack Duncan’s story about taking up one’s cross linked here.

Notch:

Where did pain (suffering) come from? It had a beginning, right?

Nora Gwen:

Absolutely. Chapter 3 from the book of Genesis describes the origin of pain and suffering.

Notch:

So an all-knowing God engineered a universe where a single bite of a fruit by one couple automatically punishes billions of innocent future generations with lifetimes of agonizing pain? And we are supposed to view that lifelong agony as a “touchstone for spiritual progress” instead of a punishment that isn’t proportional, just, merciful, or loving?

Nora Gwen:

Your reasoning sounds an awful lot like one of the characters in that chapter you neglected to mention in your response Notch.

Notch:

Turning me into the deceiver is a classic defensive reflex, Nora. I didn’t mention the serpent because that character has absolutely nothing to do with my question about the Designer of suffering. If I wanted to include Satan in this discussion, I could have asked why God chose to cast Satan down to the one planet where he was creating flawed humans, or why Satan possessed the knowledge of good and evil while Adam and Eve were left defenseless in a rigged arena. But I didn’t because that’s not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on suffering.

It is strange to me how Christians try to rewrite the narrative by claiming God designed suffering as a tool to make you “better,” when the Bible explicitly states it was created for one specific purpose: punishment. You can’t claim suffering is a righteous penalty for sin while simultaneously pretending it’s a beneficial spiritual gym membership.

My focus right now is strictly on the Designer’s creation of suffering and who he chose to apply it to. Accusing me of being a trickster doesn’t answer the core question: how is it proportional, just, merciful, or loving for an all-knowing God to universally punish billions of future generations with lifelong agony for a mistake they didn’t commit?

Nora Gwen:

I want to focus on suffering.

Clearly.

Notch, I would be lying if I said I haven’t entertained ALL of those or similar thoughts and questions myself.

Contrary to what you may imagine, I am not a “Blind Faith-I’ll-believe-it-because-the-church-taught-it” kind of Jesus follower. With God as my witness, I question Bible stories all the time. Often, I don’t understand why God does what He does. I also can’t comprehend an existence not bound by time constraints, financial constraints, or proximity limitations. It absolutely blows my finite mind that Jesus could possibly desire or successfully sustain unique, individual, caring, and loving personal relationships with each one of His vulnerable, ignorant sheep as we learn, wander off, and grow through suffering (consequences) for our actions.

I would never tell another human that their suffering is a direct result of their disobedience to God. However, it is not at all difficult for me [most of the time] to see the direct correlation between my deepest suffering and my disobedience to my Heavenly Father’s wise directives. When my dad tells me to look both ways before crossing the street, and I get hit by a car because I didn’t listen, that’s on me.

Thank you for the “classic” compliment. Even Jesus referred to His beloved disciple Peter as “Satan,” His adversary, when Peter was getting in the way of the mission at hand in Matthew 16:23.

The reason I say it’s not “blind faith” for me is because I personally experience the very real love of Jesus each morning as I hike the local hills and experience His presence in a variety of tangible, very real ways.

My continual devotion, praise, and worship for GOD is not naive in the ignorant sense, but is naive in the Matthew 18:3 childlike wonder sense.

I sincerely hope this helps you understand where I’m coming from, since you appear to be quite concerned about my well-being as it relates to my spiritual beliefs.

Respectfully,

Nora Gwen

Notch:

…misunderstanding the nature of suffering. Suffering is a punishment, period. The idea of “growth” is simply a human construct…a desperate psychological coping mechanism created by humans to try and find meaning in horrific circumstances. If a person becomes more resilient after a tragedy, that is a testament to human survival, not divine intent. If God actively manufactured suffering as a mandatory catalyst for growth rather than a fixed penalty, it would be purely coercive.

Finally, hiding behind Matthew 18:3 to claim your faith is “childlike wonder” rather than something you arrived at because of a lack of critical thinking, is just another defense mechanism. A child trusts blindly because they lack the capacity to understand the world through critical thinking. But when an adult chooses “wonder” specifically to avoid applying critical thinking to an unjust system, it ceases to be a virtue; it becomes willful blindness. No amount of emotional comfort from a morning hike changes the logic of a blueprint that is fundamentally neither proportional, just, merciful, nor loving.

Nora Gwen:

You’ve clearly given this perspective a lot of thought and consideration, Notch. I’m glad we can calmly “discuss” [via writing] our differing POVs with kindness as we respectfully agree to disagree.

Perhaps I am completely missing the thrust of your narrative, as you put it. Perhaps I prefer to remain like a child in the freedom of my faith.

Why does my chosen theological simplicity [ignorance is bliss philosophy] bother (for lack of a better word) you so much? Please help me to understand just that part.

I figure if I save up enough of these transcripts, it may go into a future book one day.

Notch:

Nora, I appreciate the kindness and respect in your response, and I’m more than happy to answer your question directly. Thanks for the opportunity to do that.

Your chosen theological simplicity does give me pause, specifically because of the profound double standard it creates. It makes me wonder: if you have or were to have children and grandchildren, would you endorse them going through life in “ignorant bliss” when it comes to their finances, health, career, or physical safety? Of course not. You would want them to use sharp, critical thinking to navigate the real world safely.

I find it deeply inconsistent to fight against ignorant bliss in every other area of life, yet celebrate it as a virtue when it comes to what you think is the single most important narrative of human existence. I do though think the only way the Christian biblical narrative can be embraced is through ignorant bliss, because it crumbles under the weight of critical thinking (IMO).

There is immense merit in going through life being completely honest with yourself. Because you actively write articles for publications like Faithful Writers to encourage and sustain current believers, operating from a position of “ignorant bliss” feels disingenuous.

When you write about adopting a “Let go, Let God” mindset to free yourself from the stress of things you “cannot control,” you’re formatting an emotional coping mechanism to justify a flawed design. Publishing reflections on gratitude, mercy, and “letting go” while choosing to remain willfully blind to the cold math of a blueprint that dictates universal, multi-generational punishment is essentially pulling the wool over your readers’ eyes. People deserve to see the whole picture to make an adult, informed decision about the faith they are practicing.

For 50 years, I lived inside the Christian framework. I know firsthand that it systematically conditions people into a low self-opinion, training them to look in the mirror and see a broken sinner who requires grace to avoid cosmic punishment, and training them to see the world as broken while avoiding the reality that, according to the narrative, the world is broken because of a choice no human after Adam made. Many people choose this faith out of fear…fear of eternal punishment or fear of missing out on the ultimate E-ticket ride…heaven. When a narrative uses eternal terror, or the hook of an E-ticket ride to force compliance, that compliance isn’t free will; it’s coercion.

Going through an adult world with a mandatory “childlike” mindset…where you must actively avoid critical thinking to keep your comfort world intact…is a highly fragile and frankly dishonest way to live. My objective on Medium is simply to provide the rational alternative view, because true bliss shouldn’t require willful blindness.

Nora Gwen,

…if you have or were to have children and grandchildren, would you endorse them going through life in “ignorant bliss” when it comes to their finances, health, career, or physical safety?

I do in fact have both children and grandchildren Notch. And they are all raised like I was to think for themselves and choose what they believe for themselves. Of course I have prayed that they will choose Jesus and so far so good! We’re 6/6 on that count which includes my children’s spouses and each of their babies, barely old enough to sing “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”

Also, I am a professional [secular] counselor so I have been empowered and empower others with a plethora of other healthy coping and critical thinking skills in addition to my surrendered “Let go, Let God” mentality, which appears to concern you.

Thank you for expressing your genuine concern. :)

Biblical View on God’s Attitude Toward Suffering

• Not His original design: Scriptures indicate that the world was created without sickness, death, or pain, and that suffering entered through human rebellion and sin.

• Not willing: Passages like Lamentations 3:32 — 33 state that God does not “willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men,” showing grief and compassion rather than delight in pain.

• Empathy and presence: Christianity teaches that God does not stand aloof from pain; through Jesus Christ, God entered into human suffering and experienced it firsthand on the cross.

• Ultimate resolution: Religious texts promise that God will eventually eliminate all mourning, crying, and pain, wiping away every tear.

Why Suffering Exists If God Hates It

• Free will: Many theologians explain that giving humans the genuine freedom to love also introduces the capacity to choose actions that cause harm and break creation.

• Redemption and purpose: While God hates the pain itself, faith traditions hold that He is powerful enough to use and redeem suffering for spiritual growth, perseverance, and eternal good.

Looking back across these seemingly disconnected threads — the unexpected financial hurdles, the frustrating pool closures, and the demanding weight of theological debate — a single underlying narrative emerges. Whether wrestling with daily disruptions or searching for meaning within profound suffering, our lives are shaped by how we navigate tension and uncertainty. Embracing both the practical bumps in the road and the unresolved questions of faith ultimately calls us to cultivate patience, extend grace to others, and remain anchored in hope through every unpredictable season.

How do you maintain trust and patience when unexpected financial or routine disruptions interrupt your daily life?
In what ways can you approach challenging discussions with those who hold opposing views while preserving mutual respect and grace?
Where in your current season can you reframe a persistent hardship as an opportunity for personal or spiritual growth?