3. Why Do Good People Suffer?
Why It Matters
The fact that good people suffer goes against our sense of justice. It also suggests that there is little point in being good.
To Think About
Some people believe that humans experience a cycle of death and rebirth. They say that those who committed good deeds are reborn into favorable circumstances, whereas those who committed bad deeds are reborn into a life of hardship. According to that belief, even a good person can suffer if he committed bad deeds in a “past life.” However ...

• What purpose would such suffering serve, since the person supposedly reborn does not even recall his past life?
• Why do we work hard to stay healthy and avoid accidents if our well-being is largely determined by what we did in a past life?

Picture on page10: [Image:] Parents watching as their young son lies in a hospital bed after having part of his arm amputated.
What the Bible Says
Suffering is not punishment from God.
On the contrary, much of it is random—often, a matter of someone being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“The swift do not always win the race, nor do the mighty win the battle, nor do the wise always have the food, nor do the intelligent always have the riches, nor do those with knowledge always have success, because time and unexpected events overtake them all.”—Ecclesiastes 9:11.

Our sinful nature contributes to suffering.
People often use the word “sin” to refer to a bad act that someone commits. However, the Bible also uses it to describe a condition that all humans—good and bad—have inherited.

“I was born guilty of error, and sinful from the moment my mother conceived me.”—Psalm 51:5, Footnote.

Sin has had a devastating effect on humans.
It has not only damaged our relationship with our Creator but also put us out of harmony with the rest of God’s creation. That has resulted in enormous suffering, both to individuals and to the human race as a whole.

“When I wish to do what is right, what is bad is present with me.”—Romans 7:21.
“All creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together.”—Romans 8:22.

Box on page 11
[Box.] Why Do Good People Suffer?

Much of our suffering results from our sinful nature, which both good and bad people have inherited. That sinful nature contributes to physical and mental disorders as well as traits that cause people to harm one another.

Is this what God intended? Were we meant to suffer?
See question 4. [End of Box.]

Learn More:
Watch the video Why Does God Allow Suffering? on jw.org.