Did you know that a Gallup Poll found that people who called themselves atheist said their number one reason for not believing in God is that there is so much suffering in the world and they cannot understand how God could or would allow such suffering to happen. I want to delve into that question as much as possible. Why do bad things happen to good people or good things to bad people? It doesn’t seem fair does it?
I want to begin by saying that Genesis tells us God created and called it “good.” But from that point, people fell into sin. Adam and Eve may have started the rebellion, but we have certainly continued it. I will define sin as missing the mark or not doing what God wants. While we have our moments, we do miss the mark quite often. In fact, the apostle Paul says “we have all fallen short of the glory of God.” In other words, we are broken and slaves to sin. We cannot “get it right.” Even the world we live in is corrupted with sin. Have you ever had to plant weeds? Weeds just grow. No tomatoes or lettuce or carrots or apple trees at random… just weeds! The world is broken and we live as broken people in it.
Secondly, the world has order. There are 60 minutes in an hour, not 40 on certain days or worse at random. Time and space are predictable. Two and two always equal four and gravity seems to be working constantly. No one has simply flown off the planet when gravity suddenly quit for a few moments. Finally, there is evil. Perpetrated mostly by other people. Evil is a reality, but few ever admit to serving it. Jesus found that out. The good people of His day actually killed him!
What does that have to be with life being fair? Everything! God has created a world that goes along like a watch… tick, tick. We are in that world getting into human made autos, planes, trains, working with chemicals and electric currents, inhaling gases, eating “who knows what”, and any other thing that can hurt us. Frankly, about the only way to be safe might be just to stay home… no it might catch on fire.
All in all, it is more amazing when we don’t suffer than when we do.
So why do bad things happen to good people? Because bad things happen to everyone! Good (or at least good willed) people and bad people. Being a Christian isn’t some inoculation from suffering. Being a Christian should inform the way we BEHAVE in the midst of suffering. Being a Christian means we understand and believe the promise of God that we will be resurrected after our own death and live with God in eternity. That is called FAITH! Over the ages, Christians lived and suffered and died and yet faced their death with hope and a sense of anticipation of the life to come. That was a statement in itself to non-believers.
Sadly, don’t let the world somehow create a false sense of security. There are those who say that faith in Jesus will make you rich, happy, and immune to suffering, but that just isn’t true. Believing in Christ is not a shield from pain and suffering… it is a way of dealing with it. You have been adopted by God. God has paid a steep price to bring you home to Him and you can believe in your future with God.
