CLAIM:
The purpose of pain (suffering) is to tell you something is wrong. When possible, we fix the problem, and life goes on. When we cannot fix the problem, the merciful thing is to permit assisted suicide because suffering is only making life miserable.

REBUTTAL:
Human existence is first about our relationship with God. He is the author, sustainer, and ultimately the one who brings an end to life (Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 33:4; 1 Timothy 6:13). As we face the challenges of life, God’s word reminds us that his will comes first (Exodus 20:3; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:2).

This especially applies to facing suffering and pain in this life.

Spiritual Maturing
Faith comes in different sizes. God’s word describes it as possibly being as small as a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20). From that point, it is to grow and mature (1 Corinthians 13:9-12; Ephesians 4:13-15; Philippians 3:12-14; 2 Timothy 1:6; Hebrews 5:12-6:3).

Just as knowledge in any field develops over time, faith also matures and deepens with time and nurturing. A child with a rudimentary knowledge of science will see things incompletely compared to a science professional. As our faith matures, we begin to see things like suffering, pain, and death differently.

It Begins with Perspective
Christians see things differently. Jesus made that clear when he prayed,

I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. (John 17:14–16)

Repeatedly throughout God’s word, we are reminded that we are not to conform to the way the world is and views things (Romans 12:2). We are not to embrace the things of this world, and especially not to view it as some sort of permanent dwelling (1 John 2:15-17). In fact, James goes as far as to say,

Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

It is because of the maturing perspective on the world that the Apostle Paul would write,

We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3–5)

There are five basic truths we can identify from a Christian perspective about pain and suffering:

Truth #1: Suffering is Inevitable
Even God’s most exemplary servants, recorded in the Scriptures, faced suffering and hardship. Paul wrote:

We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. (2 Corinthians 1:8)

The path of living the Christian faith is fraught with hardship and troubles (Acts 14:22). The end result of pain and suffering brought in this world of sin ultimately is death (Romans 6:23). Suffering is inevitable.

Truth #2: Suffering is Subjective
Suffering is subjective. What is cold for us might not be for an Eskimo. What might be painful manual labor for a desk jockey might not be for a hard-working farmer. Even within our families, we observe that some have higher pain tolerance than others.

Suffering can also be mitigated by care and medication. When Jesus was dying on the cross, he refused a mixture designed to lessen the suffering until he felt his work was complete (Matthew 27:34).

Over the course of history, people developed increasingly effective ways to lessen or eliminate pain. Most pain can be treated well with proper care.

Truth #3: Suffering Makes Us Mindful of God
Nothing rattles our feelings of self-sufficiency like suffering. Hardship turns our attention heavenward as we become more mindful of God as our hope and deliverer (Psalm 119:71; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Truth #4: Suffering Provides Opportunity to Glorify God
When you live for the world, you are tempted to interpret suffering only from a worldly perspective. You see hardship, trouble, pain, and suffering as they interfere with your hopes and dreams for this world. Yet, suffering has an incredible way of serving the heavenly purpose of glorifying God (John 9:1-3; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

Truth #5: Suffering Provides an Outlet for the Faith of Others
One often overlooked aspect of suffering is its potential to provide opportunities for others to demonstrate their faith through compassionate action. This dynamic is vividly illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this story, two individuals who knew from their religious training to help chose to ignore the plight of the injured man lying in the ditch. The Samaritan recognized the moral imperative to help (Luke 10:25-37).

Even in a world where assisted suicide, or even unassisted suicide, becomes more ubiquitous, it becomes the least desired of all options when Christians imitate their Savior by sacrificing for others (John 15:13; 1 Peter 2:21; Hebrews 13:16).

Concluding Thoughts
“Mercy” is best defined by the perfect example of God and his son, Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3). It is not “mercy” to help someone defy the will of God who created him. It is mercy, however, to care, serve, and sacrifice for those who are suffering, as Jesus did to pay for our sins.