People routinely stumble over the issue of suffering in their attempt to understand God’s purpose for His creation. How can a good and loving God allow the kind of suffering we see in this world? It just doesn’t seem fair. Is it possible to reconcile what seems to be this contradiction in God’s nature? The problem lies in our inability to truly understand God Himself, and thus His purpose for creating things the way they are.
       Our perception of life’s purpose revolves around “the pursuit of happiness.” We see everything in terms of enhancing our quality of life during our time here on earth. This idea is constantly drilled into us throughout our lives. God doesn’t see things this way. His purpose is all-encompassing: life on Earth is an incubator of sorts, a temporary place of testing wherein the children of God ultimately rise to the surface as His chosen ones.

From: The Path through the Maze—Answering Life’s Ultimate Question: What Happens After We Die?