How should Christians respond during suffering?

Supposing for the moment that “perpetual happiness” in a fallen world is unattainable, can we be assured of any positive aspect of suffering to which the believer can cling to? Although most Christians would answer “Yes” to this question there remain different perspectives on the identity of the positive element that is present during suffering.

Answer 1: Suffering is a form of testing by God.
The New Testament book of James indicates that believers will go through times of testing that serve a good purpose of purification. Yet I do not think that the Bible teaches that all suffering is a result of testing. There is real evil in the world that inflicts pain on both the just and the unjust, and there is no good purpose behind it. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). There are forces at work in the world that are opposed to God’s good purposes, and God is opposed to these works. God will ultimately triumph over evil by destroying death, the last enemy of God (1 Cor 15:26).

Answer 2: God enables all believers to experience joy in the midst of suffering.
Yes, there are situations where many believers are able to express their confidence in God with joy even in the midst of horrible circumstances. Yet I have met many individuals, myself included, who have not experienced joy at the loss of their loved ones. I would caution against raising that as an expectation, for I believe that the scriptures themselves allow for periods of mourning that do not include any expression of joy.

Answer 3: We can express our confidence in God during suffering.
For me, the positive element to which we can cling during suffering is hope rooted in our faith in God. The laments contained in scripture serve as models for how we can express ourselves during periods of grief and sorrow. These inspired prayers, which form the largest genre of songs within the Psalter, over and over validate that various dark emotions experienced during true sorrow and grief can be expressed openly and honestly to God. The psalmists routinely use language that we often would dare not utter to God. Yet God accepted it as heart-felt worship. All lament psalms, except for one, contain some positive expression of confidence toward God. Psalm 88, void of any positive note of confidence in God, reminds us that there is room in worship even for the tortured soul who cannot muster even a single phrase of gratitude.