Why does God allow children to die or suffer?
The Devotional Answer
The devotional answer is that the suffering of children is the most acute pain in a world marred by sin and its effects. The Bible makes it clear that we live in a fallen world (Question 22), where natural disasters, diseases, and human cruelty are not God's original design but the consequences of humanity's rebellion. God did not cause the suffering, but He allows it as a result of granting free will to humanity and subjecting the earth to decay (Romans 8:20-22).
Crucially, God is not aloof from this suffering; He entered into it. The ultimate answer to suffering is not a philosophical explanation, but the person of Jesus Christ, who shared the ultimate suffering (Question 82).
When God allows pain, He is simultaneously promising to redeem it, assuring us that for those who die in Christ, their suffering is brief, and their comfort is eternal (Revelation 21:4).
The Simple Answer
This question is called the problem of Theodicy—how to reconcile an all-good, all-powerful God with the existence of evil and suffering.
The simplest biblical explanation rests on these three truths:
The World is Broken: After the rebellion (the Fall), the entire creation was subjected to decay, pain, and death. Suffering is a universal symptom of this brokenness, affecting all people, regardless of age or innocence.
God Shares the Grief: Jesus wept over the death of His friend Lazarus (John 11:35), showing that God is not indifferent to our pain; He shares in it.
God Guarantees Justice: While we don't see perfect justice now (Question 64), we are assured that every injustice, every tear, and every tragedy will be fully and eternally addressed. God’s final response to suffering is the Resurrection and the New Earth, where children and all the righteous will live in a state of perfect joy (Question 93).
The Deeper Dive
While there is no single, easy answer, Christian theology offers the following deeper insights into this painful mystery:
1. The Necessity of Free Will
God valued the capacity for genuine love and relationship (Question 97) so highly that He allowed human beings true free will. True love requires a genuine choice—the choice to obey or disobey.
The cost of that freedom was the possibility of sin entering the world, and with it, all forms of moral evil (cruelty, abuse) and natural evil (disease, death, disasters). God chooses to work within the framework of the fallen world that humanity chose, rather than constantly overriding it, which would negate free will.
2. The Sovereignty Over Death
While we grieve deeply for the death of a child, the Bible teaches that death is not the end. The Christian perspective assures that children who die before the age of moral responsibility (Accountability) are redeemed by Christ and go directly into God's presence. God, in His sovereignty, is the one who determines the time of a life (Psalm 139:16), guaranteeing that the child's eternal outcome is secure.
3. God’s Ultimate Response
The fact that God, in Jesus, took the maximum suffering upon Himself is the practical answer to the question.
On the Cross: Jesus proved He knows suffering, making Him a compassionate High Priest (Hebrews 4:15).
The Promise: The entire hope of Christianity is that God will one day destroy the effects of the Fall forever. The fact that the ultimate purpose of the Gospel is to destroy death and wipe away all tears is the final assurance that God hates suffering more than we do.
God's Assurance
God assures you that He is present in the suffering, that He shares your grief, and that He is working all things—even the seemingly senseless tragedies—toward a final, loving, and just resolution.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
You are assured that the hope you have in Christ means that no sorrow is final, and every wrong will be made eternally right.
Your Takeaway Thought
Do not let the pain of the question lead you to doubt God's goodness. When the reason for the suffering of the innocent is unclear, hold fast to the Cross—it is the one undeniable proof that God is not separate from suffering and is willing to pay the ultimate price to end it. Trust His perfect love, even when His sovereign will is incomprehensible.
