Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Good People?

Why does evil exist?  Some have surmised that evil exists because God doesn’t exist.  This nonsensical argument would have us believe that humans are simply the product of evolutionary random events that have resulted in our complex behavioral patterns.  If this were the case then morality would be purely subjective since theft, murder and sexual abuse would be nothing more than a person’s attempts to survive, procreate and establish themselves in a hierarchical society.

The Bible teaches that mankind was created in God’s image.  Unlike all of the animals, we have a body, soul and spirit.  Sin entered the world through Satan and ever since that fateful moment in time, we have lived in a fallen state, separated from God by a chasm of sinful desires that oppose God and cause us to rebel against him.  The apostle Paul sums it up in Galatians 5:17, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

We live in a fallen word.  That doesn’t mean that God does not love us, or that he doesn’t exist.  It simply means that he created us with freedom of choice and our downfall is that we choose pursuits that gratify our fleshly desires rather than the discipline necessary to suppress the satisfaction of self in favor of pleasing God.  In today’s materialistic, self-centered society, we are bombarded with advertising that promotes self-gratification and freedom through wealth in order to feed that egoism.

With that said, how can a loving God allow bad things to happen to good people?  If we are not descendants of prehistoric primates through evolutionary processes and are indeed created by God, why does he allow evil to exist at all?   The answer is revealed in the pages of the Bible through the purpose of creating mankind to exist in an eternal relationship with the Creator.  By creating us with the freedom of choice, God will never force us into an eternal existence with him in his kingdom, if we would rather not participate, therefore heaven is the destiny of choice only for those who actually want to be there.  A fallen and redeemed humanity will appreciate eternity in fellowship with God infinitely more than a naïve and sinless humanity ever could.

Based on this premise, our lives on earth encompass the full spectrum of human emotions and experiences.  We endure loss, pain, disappointment, disease, hatred and evil in its many forms, as well as peace, joy, love and redemption in order to fully appreciate the goodness to come after we leave this world (for those who choose to believe).  Without suffering first would we even be able to grasp the goodness and holiness of God?

God promises that through our trials and tribulations he is always available to provide strength and perseverance to those who call on his name.  Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  The poem Footprints in the Sand by Mary Stevenson, tells of how the Lord walked with the writer throughout her life and there were always two sets of footprints in the sand in her dream, except for the lowest and saddest times when there was only one set of footprints.  When she asked God about this, he answered that once she chose to follow him, he would never leave her and those were the times that he had carried her.

The Bible is filled with accounts of human failure and the suffering of God’s people.  Job suffered the loss of his wealth and family however he did not blame God for his troubles and remained faithful.  Joseph endured being betrayed by his own brothers, slavery in a foreign country, imprisonment under false pretenses and the fear of death but never abandoned his faith in God.  In fact, God used those hardships to prepare him for the good purpose he had planned in advance for him.  Exodus 50:20 confirms this, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

And ultimately God did not spare his own Son from suffering and hardship.  Jesus paid the immeasurable price of salvation through his own sacrifice on the cross at Calvary.  In doing so, God himself experienced and knows intimately what all people suffer in their lives in this fallen world.  The writer of Hebrews reminds us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.” Hebrews 4:15.

While suffering in life can be unpleasant and seemingly unbearable at times, the troubles we encounter serve to build character, humility and to draw us near to the Lord.  Mother Teresa once said, “Suffering is a gift, though like all gifts, it depends on how we receive it.  And that is why we need a pure heart, to see the hand of God, to feel the hand of God, to recognize the gift of God in our suffering.”  Paul wrote in Romans 5:3-4, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

God’s love for us was demonstrated through suffering.  He chose to come down to our level and experience pain and suffering personally in order that we might have eternal life.  He didn’t have to do this.  He did this because he loves us and it was plain to him that humanity was not grasping the concepts he was teaching through his prophets and at risk of being forever lost.  Despite the cerebral knowledge of those who study God’s word and even the experiential knowledge of those who had witnessed great miracles done by God, mankind was still in desperate need of redemption.  Put simply, our finite minds cannot comprehend an infinite God or his purposes.

In order to draw near to God, we must soften our hearts in humility.  Hebrews 3:7-9 states, “So, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the wilderness, where your ancestors tested and tried me, though for forty years they saw what I did.’”  Of the six hundred thousand men plus women and children (Exodus 12:37) that fled from Egypt and crossed the Red Sea on dry land, only two lived to enter the promised land by crossing the Jordan River.  Because of their unbelief, the rest were held back, to perish in the desert.

Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate.  For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Mathew 7:13-14.  Life’s hardships serve as a testing ground and our response leads to a position of openness or resistance to God’s call. People with softened hearts towards the Lord will seek him in their time of need.

What does it benefit someone who has never had need of anything if they don’t feel the need for God in their life?  Much of today’s society enjoys a standard of living that surpasses everything historically, even royalty thousands of years ago.  Many people in developed nations have never experienced starvation, lack of shelter or clothing and often complain when they cannot afford a third vehicle, boat or RV.  These are among the most spiritually bankrupt people in the world, selfish and narcissistic with a sense of entitlement.  It is the downtrodden and the oppressed who often have the greatest hope and the strongest faith.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mathew 5:3-10.

Revelation 21:4 offers hope to all who have experienced hatred, hardship and suffering, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  God has promised to end Satan’s influence once and for all when he restores humanity to our rightful purpose and design.  Eternal fellowship with him at an intimately high level.

Becoming a Christian does not exempt anyone from experiencing pain and suffering. We must endure the river of life, with all its rapids, waterfalls and other obstacles no matter what we believe. With this in mind, I will conclude with the words of Paul in Romans 8:18, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”  Praise the Lord!