Why Bad Things Happen To Good People (Part 1)

When people challenge the existence of God, one of the first questions they posit is, “why would God allow bad things to happen to good people?”

It's a valid question, one for which Christians often either don't have an answer or have an incomplete answer. I think that's a mistake.

Underlying the very question is a belief system that’s flawed. That belief system is often based on the concept that God is unmoved and unaffected by the human existence – that is, that He doesn’t care about the things we go through or the circumstances in which we find ourselves; that He simply set the world in motion and now stands back and watches objectively as the events of the world occur.

The truth is the opposite. God created man out of a desire for relationship (Revelation 3:20). He was hurt when Adam and Eve disobeyed Him (Genesis 3:13-19). He was moved by the suffering of His people in Egypt (Exodus 3:7-8). He was angered when the world turned against Him in the days of Noah (Genesis 6:5-6). He so loved the world that He sent His Son to save it (John 3:16) at the birth of Jesus. Jesus wept at the death of his friend Lazarus (John 11). The earth shook at Jesus' crucifixion (Matthew 27:45-51).

God is affected by our circumstances. He cares about our well-being.

So, why do bad things happen to good people? Stay tuned for more on that. But in the meantime, know, at least, that God cares.

God bless,
J.W.