Telling God's Story - FAQ's Part 2
WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?
Job asked that question in a different way:
“Why do the wicked prosper, growing old and powerful?” Job 21:7 (NLT)
“They spend their days in prosperity, then go down to the grave in peace. And yet they say to God, ‘Go away. We want no part of you and your ways.’” Job 21:13-14 (NLT)
That is a great question and a really important question. Let me just say: there are a lot of painful things in life. Some of you are facing pain and hurt right now. So for you this is not a hypothetical question at all. I am going to answer this the best I can but my answer will not be perfect or complete because only God can answer this in a perfect and complete way.
Answers you will hear:
(1) Some people say: “Bad things just happen.”
(2) Other people say: “Well, there’s karma. You do good, you get good back. You do bad, you get bad back. So, if bad things are happening to you, then obviously you did bad things.“
Here’s the Christian perspective: I think we have to acknowledge that there is some false advertising when it comes to Christianity. Lots of teaching that life is better with God. That is a true statement depending on what you mean by better. If better means - I will always get the blessing, always get the promotion, I’ll never get cancer, I’ll never have tragedy - that is simply not true. Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean that the rest of your life goes without struggle or hardship or difficulty. Jesus suffered and He didn’t cause any of it. Jesus said:
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)
There is not a Biblical promise that if you follow Jesus, life will always be trouble-free and no problems. If you believe that, you have a problem with someone like John the Baptist who prepared the way for Jesus and yet was beheaded in prison because he stood up for what was right. You are going to have a problem with Paul, who was faithful to God, wrote a lot of the New Testament, and yet was beaten and left for dead and eventually executed for his faith. And you especially are going to have a problem with Jesus who did nothing wrong and suffered for our sins. Life is better with God but that’s not talking about better being problem-free.
So let me give you the Christian perspective of why bad things happen. 3 reasons:
(1) Because our world is corrupted and stained by sin. Therefore, sinful things happen.
(2) There are times when our spiritual enemy Satan attacks us. If you are a Christian, you have an enemy who wants to destroy you. He will use drugs, addiction, greed, pride, all sorts of things to ruin you. We are in a spiritual war and we have an enemy.
(3) God has allowed a thing called free will. You have a choice. You are not a robot that is programmed to love God, you choose to love God or not. Because of free will, you can do good or you can do evil. Without free will there is no love, but with free will there also comes the possibility of doing things wrong.
*I think this question is basically flawed. The answer is bad things don’t happen to good people, because in reality none of us are good. Some of you would push back about that statement. “Wait a minute. Those other people might not be good but I’m a good person.” But in the eyes of God, none of us are good and we have to get that. Our heart is deceitful. We can talk ourselves into all sorts of things. We are flawed and sinful. Because I am my own worst enemy. I think I know what is best for me, and I don’t. I think I can handle things on my own without God and I can’t. Bad things don’t happen to good people, bad things happen to sinful people.
But some of you may be struggling with this question and think: God is not fair. And I would agree with you. God is absolutely not fair, and I am really glad. God is always good, but He is not always fair. And we should be thankful God is not fair. Because we could ask the better question: Why do good things happen to bad people? That is the essence of the Gospel message of Jesus. God is always good, He is always just, but He is not always fair. If He was fair, He would give us what our sins deserve without any forgiveness, mercy, or grace. Here’s how God is not fair:
“He does not punish us for all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.“ Psalm 103:10-12 (NLT)
If you think only bad things should happen to bad people, Jesus is the perfect example of the best person who ever lived, and yet the worst thing happened to Him when He went to the cross to die for you and me. Why did He do it? So that the best thing that could ever happen would happen to us, the worst people who have ever lived. Our sins could be forgiven and we could spend eternity in heaven with God, something we do not deserve and could never ever earn. Tragedy can make us question God. But it is in tragedy and difficulty and suffering that the presence of God becomes most real. He is with you, and He will bring comfort in ways that only He could do. God sees you even when you can’t see Him.