Why do bad things happen to good people? This is a tough question, and one that I have struggled with trying to answer. We learn that “Good is Great, God is Good.” We are told that “God is love.” We learn that evil is real. So how do we answer the question, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people.” We watch the news and hear about shootings that take innocent lives. How does this happen? Why would God allow such a thing. If God is all powerful, why not just get rid of all things evil. There are two reasons that are key:
1. God created a great place for his new creation. It was wonderful. It was perfect.
2. God gave us free will. Man is not a robot. We can choose our actions. However, there are consequences to those actions.
We all know the story. Eve disobeys God, and much like putting a drip of chocolate into your milk. The world is forever tainted. You can’t “unchocolate” your milk. The chocolate travels through the milk tainting as it goes. God said not, but Eve and Adam disobeyed. He still loves us, but there are consequences.
When we start to ponder the question of why do bad things happen to good people, we may take a trip down the “Is there really a God.” Well, we’ve been there. The planet is too complex to have just “happened.”
We start to believe that since sin exists, that God is evil. Is a parent evil when they allow their children to suffer the consequences of their actions? It doesn’t mean that the parent created the consequence. It does however, allow it. That is a tough pill to swallow.We can get caught here of focusing on the negative instead of all the ways God does take care of us.
We believe that maybe God isn’t all powerful since sin exists.
In the end what is my answer to the question, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” I say, “I don’t know.” In the same way that I didn’t understand some of my parents rules growing up, but they made since later (like saving money). My parents had a greater vision of life.
If you are in a hospital and hear a woman screaming in the room, yet everyone outside of her room seems to be happy and smiling. If you say, “What’s wrong with you can’t you see she’s in pain?” They might turn to you and say, “She’s in labor and the baby is almost here.”
The Christian Dental Plan
Many pastors love to preach on how God’s favor is flowing and abundant. He just wants what is best for you. This is true, but it’s not what Jesus said. He said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33 NIV). As much as we all want God’s favor, don’t become a Christian for the dental plan. In Matthew 24:9 Jesus says, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” Sounds like a party right? He adds in verse 13, “but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
What I DO know is:
“Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished” Exodus 34:7
God is patient with us and wants us to repent 2 Peter 3:9
Jesus has suffered as well Philippians 2:6-8 (so he knows what its like to suffer)
We know that God can take something bad and make it good “God works for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28)
He can use pain to reshape us Hebrews 12:10-11, to strengthen our character (Romans 5:3-4)
We don’t have to suffer alone. Pslams 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”
So Much Suffering in the World
Possibly a better question to ask is “What are you doing to end suffering in the world?”
I haven’t read this book, but plan on it.
