I Doubt That- Q7
Why is free will so important? Why must children suffer in order to preserve free will?
Free will is a gift from God because He desires real, loving relationship with us—not robotic obedience. Love that is true must be freely chosen. That’s why God didn’t create us to automatically follow Him or to be incapable of sin. Without the freedom to choose good, love, and God, there would be no meaning in choosing them at all.
But with that freedom comes the heartbreaking reality that people can also choose evil. And tragically, those choices often hurt the innocent—especially children. It’s not that God wants children to suffer. He grieves that suffering more deeply than we can imagine. Jesus Himself wept over pain and loss. He never looked away from suffering—He entered into it, bore it on the cross, and promised to redeem it.
The Bible doesn't give us every answer to why, but it does assure us of who God is: a loving Father, a suffering Savior, and a Comforter through the Holy Spirit. It promises that one day, God will make all things new—every tear wiped away, every injustice made right (Revelation 21:4). Until then, we are called not to explain away suffering but to love in the midst of it, to walk with those who hurt, and to hold onto hope that God is still good, even in a broken world.
You’re not alone in this question. God welcomes our doubts, our grief, our anger, and our aching hearts. And sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is to simply bring those hard questions to Him, trusting that He hears, He cares, and He’s not finished yet.
Free will is a gift from God because He desires real, loving relationship with us—not robotic obedience. Love that is true must be freely chosen. That’s why God didn’t create us to automatically follow Him or to be incapable of sin. Without the freedom to choose good, love, and God, there would be no meaning in choosing them at all.
But with that freedom comes the heartbreaking reality that people can also choose evil. And tragically, those choices often hurt the innocent—especially children. It’s not that God wants children to suffer. He grieves that suffering more deeply than we can imagine. Jesus Himself wept over pain and loss. He never looked away from suffering—He entered into it, bore it on the cross, and promised to redeem it.
The Bible doesn't give us every answer to why, but it does assure us of who God is: a loving Father, a suffering Savior, and a Comforter through the Holy Spirit. It promises that one day, God will make all things new—every tear wiped away, every injustice made right (Revelation 21:4). Until then, we are called not to explain away suffering but to love in the midst of it, to walk with those who hurt, and to hold onto hope that God is still good, even in a broken world.
You’re not alone in this question. God welcomes our doubts, our grief, our anger, and our aching hearts. And sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is to simply bring those hard questions to Him, trusting that He hears, He cares, and He’s not finished yet.
Posted in I Doubt That