I was not ready to get up today at 4:30 am, but this thought woke me up and it was a realization, a clarification of a question many people struggle with: Why would God let this happen? Why would God do this to such a good person?
It became clear to me this morning: if we blame God, we are wrongly blaming our Creator, who gave us life because He loves us. Think about that for a minute. God gave us life. God made us out of His love for us. Let logical thinking take over our hurt, sadness, anger, pain, etc. God does NOT do bad things to those who love Him. God does good things for those who love Him.
your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
(Jesus said this) Matthew 6:25-34
Yes, bad things do happen to good people, BUT God does NOT CAUSE that. It is normal to be angry when bad things happen to “good” people, but sometimes we direct our anger incorrectly. Why are we so quick to blame God? If we call ourselves Christians, we should know this: God does NOT do bad things to His people. The Bible is the only TRUTH, so if we look to the Bible for answers, we will find the answers, to this and much more.
Who is Good?
First of all, we need to realize, what we think is “good” is not the same as what God knows as “good.” Jesus made this point responding to someone saying: “Why do you call me good? No one is good – except God alone.” We all fall short in some way of being known as “good” to God. Our days of living on earth are part of the process of us individually preparing ourselves for eternity. (It’s like getting an education to prepare for work, only it has greater implications than a job or career: our eternity.) And we will never be “good enough” which is the reason why Jesus died for us; so that we could be in eternity with God. We are not “perfect” nor able to justify our way to heaven thinking if we are good enough we will get to heaven (we won’t get to heaven “being good enough” – from the Bible). The only way we will make it to heaven is through believing and faith in Jesus. BUT there will be consequences from our behavior.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
Who causes bad things to happen to people?
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12
If only every person on earth would comprehend what this quote tells us, we would stop fighting with each other, we would stop blaming one another, we would unite together against the powers of the dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms that CAUSE the bad stuff we experience here on earth. If we are angry- be angry at the true source, don’t blame the innocent!
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
Ephesians 2: 2 ……in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
The entire book of Job is another example, God did not CAUSE those bad things to happen, Satan did. But the end of the story is that God restored everything for Job.
Why does God allow bad things to happen?
We have to remember that God is just:
He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.
Deuteronomy 32: 4
Sometimes bad things happen as a consequence of a choice or an action we made (we cause it). Sometimes God allows bad things to happen to test our faith (read the book of Job) to find out if we truly love Him. And sometimes “our time is up” and God is ready for us.
28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
(Jesus said this) Matthew 10: 28
If we experience an untimely death of someone we love, we need to put this in perspective: Yes it hurts. It will always hurt. But those feelings are focused on us, if we turn our thoughts to what is better for the person who experienced the untimely death, their suffering on earth was shortened. They didn’t have to endure the pain we do. It is a time like this to remember what Jesus said:
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?
(Jesus said this) John 14:2
S.A.I.L. 