Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
I got a text message from my lovely high school co-leader. She told me a tragic story about a friend who’s family has suffered a tragedy and had just gotten news of another. Her question:
Why do bad things happen to good people?
How can God let this happen?
Below was my response to her. I hope this helps you understand why. That this will allow you to lean on God, rather than pull away from Him.
The Sin of Others
You have to remember that we live in a world where sin is trying to wrestle the reigns from God’s hands. Satan is active and real. And Satan is terrified of the good people, the God-loving people in the world. Satan knows that you have the potential to spread truth and love and joy. And Satan hates that. When bad things happen, Satan wants you to ask that question: “Why God?”
Satan wants you to question and pull away, and believe that God wants bad things and pain for us.
^That could not be further from the truth. God wants all good things for us.
While we are on this earth we are going to be subject, not only to our own sin, but to the sins of others. And until we are wrapped safely in heaven’s arms, we will experience unexplainable, heart breaking things. And it is how Jesus followers react to those bad things that makes people around us look up and notice.
Our Own Sin
We tend to talk about people who are generally responsible and nice as being “good people.” But, the reality is that there are no good people in God’s eyes.
We are all sinful.
You may not have committed murder. But there are plenty of things that you have done to break your relationship with God and other people.
God never fails the promises he makes to us. He never promised a life free from pain. In fact Jesus says we will experience the opposite. He does promise us a new life and wholeness after this one.
All of God’s promises look at the bigger picture. Bigger than this moment. Bigger than this decade. Bigger than this lifetime. So, when He promises to “complete the good work He started” (Philippians 1:6) that “good work” can apply to something short term, but it can also mean that Jesus is coming back and will conquer every bad and evil thing.
In the most terrible times, people are watching how we react. And when we turn to God, even when it seems like God has allowed this terrible thing to happen, that we are able to show God’s great glory and love to others.
Know too, that God’s heart breaks when our heart breaks, especially when it is out of love for one another.
God never wanted this pain for us. We are the ones who strayed and changed. God never strayed. God never changed. God is the ultimate love. The ultimate support. The ultimate forgiver. The ultimate healer. The ultimate everything.
It is my prayer that you find comfort in this post, and understand that you are fully, completely and wholely loved by God.
