Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
One of the things I have learned during my walk as a Bible-believing Christian is that my only job as a Child of God is to believe. We all know that Christianity is not a religion—this is not something I should have to explain to anyone who has been following The Rebel Christian for more than a week. Our Faith is a relationship, not a moral code or a list of do’s and don’ts. But what always seems to trip people up is the idea of understanding God.
As a Christian, I get many questions from non-believers like; why does God allow earthquakes? Why does God let babies die? Why didn’t God save my mother from cancer? Why? Why? Why?
I can’t answer for individual incidents in the lives of others, but I can tell you this; we live in a fallen world. The way our earth functions is never how God meant it to be. When God first created the earth, He stepped back and saw that it was good [Genesis 1]. There was no sickness, death, or violence—but that wasn’t the reason the world was good. The earth was good because it ran as God intended it to run.
The moment Adam and Eve sinned against the Lord, they handed dominion of the earth over to Satan. From that moment on, we have had two choices; live with Christ as the head of our lives or live with Satan as the head of our lives. Now, some people seem to think that because they have not actively accepted the devil as their leader or because they do not practice satanism, that means the devil is not the head of their lives. I am telling you right now, that is not true. If you do not actively accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are actively accepting the devil as the head of your life.
So, to answer the questions of so many confused Believers and non-believers alike, to address all the why? Why? Whys? I’d like to say that God does not let babies die, He does not kill people through earthquakes, and He is not out to get you. When you do not live with Christ as the head of your life, you live with Satan as the head of your life—and that means you deal with all the gifts the sort of leader a devil would give. God makes many promises to us throughout His word; good health, prosperity, love, and even peace of mind. But what does the Bible say about the promises of the devil?
John 10:10 NIV tells us, in Christ’s own words: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Do you see that? In one single verse, Jesus Christ tells us our options; follow the Lord and have life—have it to the full. Or follow the devil and have everything you love stolen from you, live a life of death and dead dreams, and watch as the world around you is destroyed from the inside out—babies dying, thousands of cases of cancer diagnosed every day, earthquakes shaking the nation. Those are the things promised to you from the enemy, but Christ promised life.
So next time you want to ask why? don’t ask me, ask God. God has all the answers to every question on your mind—He created your mind, after all. Do not paint a picture of Jesus Christ as an evil dictator, holding the world hostage in His hands. I cannot explain every situation. I cannot make sense of why bad things happen to seemingly good people. But I can testify to the goodness of Christ Jesus, my Lord Savior, who chose me not only to love and praise Him, but to share this article with you so that you may be encouraged in your faith. Keep going—despite the questions and the confusion. God sees you and He is aware of your doubts. But you know what makes God so wonderful?
He loves you despite your doubts. Besides Christ, one of the greatest gifts God gave to us was the freedom of choice. Sorry to say this, but choice is not a modern day, free-thinking phenomena, it was given to us the day God collected dirt and formed the first man. From the moment He breathed Ruach into our lungs—that is, the breath of God—we were given a choice. To love and live for God or to love and live for the devil. When you choose to love the Lord through your wondering, pain, and confusion, do not ever think that God has overlooked that. He sees your questions and He wants to answer them—just ask!
Our Father is a loving God, if you will just open your heart to His kindness, He will unveil your eyes to see and experience His grace and mercy for yourself. Don’t let hard times or negative circumstances determine your faith in the Lord—if that were the case for Christ, He wouldn’t have sacrificed Himself on the cross, but He did it anyway and He did it for you—knowing that you would end up doubting Him later.
Choose to believe, no matter what.