Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope... br Romans 5:3-4 ESVbr br There is so much suffering in the world. Poverty, sickness, disaster, oppression... eventually everyone asks why God would allow it. The easy answer is that God has a plan, and we need to trust him. That's true, of course, but it's more complicated than that. In an online discussion of Romans 5:3-4, the Common Sense Bible Study community tackled this question.