Suffering Brings You Closer To God

It is often a mistake to generalize in life and I think that applies here. Suffering certainly can bring one closer to God, but it also causes some to flee from God and abandon their faith. It can go either way.

Paul wrote a very useful passage on this also, from his own personal suffering and how it was helpful to him, for the best. (and better than any other description is just to read his on it)
2 Corinthians 12 NIV

I did not say that suffering drives me away from God. I said that it causes some to flee from God and abandon their faith. I knew a woman when I first began my career in government decades ago. She was the wife of a Protestant minister. They had a child of maybe 8-10 years old who had died. This resulted in a divorce and her losing her faith in God.

Why does God allow suffering? I think the best answer is pretty much what a retired cop, turned Catholic priest, said on network television a few years ago. "Life is a test. It is a test to determine where we will go in the next life". Suffering it would seem is part of this test and perhaps how we react to it is part of what determines our fate.

We all just have to make it a point to seek out God, even in prosperity. Make it unnecessary for God to allow suffering on us. He wants us to be happy, but sometimes suffering is brought upon us because it is necessary. Try and do what you can before the fact so that it is not so.