Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

A harsh reality of life is that it can sometimes be deeply painful. Too often, we encounter stories of loss, sickness, abuse, death and tragedy. And, our own lives are scarred by experiences we wish had never happened. In all this sadness and pain it is right that we should ask “why does God let bad things happen to good people?”

God might reply, “Why do people do bad things?”

Every piece of suffering and pain that we experience in life is the result of the ‘bad things’ that people do. This is easy to see in events such as wars, car accidents and crime. But what about the ‘natural’ diasters such as cancer and tsunamis? Well again, the ‘bad things’ that humans do are responsible. The Bible explains that in the beginning God made the world as a good and ordered world that was free from pain and suffering. Things would have stayed that way if humans had continued to acknowledge God for who he is. But when we failed to obey and respect him then the world became a place that was full of bad consequences. Even ‘nature’ itself became a source of pain. God let this happen because he gave humanity a free-will to decide how we live.

But God will not let this go on forever. The Bible clearly presents a future day when God will reverse the downward spiral of this present existence. On that day he will do two things (amongst many). Firstly, he will bring to justice all those who have caused bad things to happen to others (Psalm 10). Secondly, he will do a magnificent work on this world so that “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay” (Romans 8:21). On that day God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things [will have] passed away.” (Revelation 21:4).

This sounds a bit ‘bizarre’, so how do we know that it will happen? The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the beginning of God’s restoration of all things. His resurrection is confirmation that God can (and will) renew this world that has been thrown into frustration by the behaviour of humans. In fact, Jesus’ death and resurrection is the means by which God achieves this amazing work. And when we believe in him, then we become participants in this wonderful renewal by God. But that’s moving to another issue altogether. If you want more information along that line then you might find the following link helpful: http://www.christianity.net.au/you/what_is_a_christian

God will not let bad things happen to good people forever. A day will come when he will bring justice to victims and renewal for those who trust in his son, Jesus.

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