And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us—Romans 5:3–5

Benjamin Disraeli, a former prime minister of Great Britain, once said, “Youth is a mistake, manhood a struggle, and old age a regret.”

There is no vacation from human suffering and tragedy. And a lot of people try to sort this out, understand it, and explain it. C. S. Lewis called it “the problem of pain.”

But there is a God who, despite the worst tragedy, can bring good out of bad. We acknowledge that life can be bad. We acknowledge that bad things can happen. We acknowledge that tragedies can come into the life a Christian. But we also acknowledge that God is sovereign, which means that He is in control. And we acknowledge that ultimately God can cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28).

Yet some hold the view that because they are Christians, they won’t suffer. They may not state it outright, but they believe that bad things won’t happen to them. However, the reality is that we will face trouble, too. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

We may have a hard time putting the words “trials,” “problems,” and “God loves me” into one sentence, because they don’t seem to go together. But let’s take a look at God’s end game. Is it to make us happy in the temporal, or is it to make us holy in the eternal? Is it to keep us always earthbound, or is it, in reality, to prepare us for heaven? The latter is the answer. So God can allow tragedy. No tragedy is good. But God can bring good despite a tragedy.