The “Easy” Hard Question

There is one question that non-believers, and even some believers, have a hard time with. I’ve even seen non-believers try to use this as a “gotcha” question. But I think all you have to do is get into scripture to understand the answer. One version of the question (which is presented in many different forms) is:

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

Yes. On its face, that is a hard question.

But it’s also a very easy question in many ways. Because of free will, Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Sin was introduced to mankind. And while God wants everyone of us, all made in His image, to believe in Him…the ultimate choice is ours alone.

Our problem is our perspective. Compared to God’s, we have each witnessed only a scintilla of the history of the world. Through his omnipotence, God knows the events of thousands upon thousands of years and billions of people. Our perspective is flawed because we have a self-interest in what happens to us and those we care about. This is true for believers and non-believers alike.

If you are a believer and the mother of a small child who develops a terrible disease, of course you will pray to God for healing. And God can (and does) heal people. As a mother, I can’t imagine the torment I would feel in that situation, praying fervently for the health and wellness of my child.

In these types of moments, there is one single phrase to keep in mind. Jesus even uttered a version of it in the Garden of Gethsemane…Thy will be done. This phrase is something I’ve been working on incorporating into my daily prayer life. “If it is your will, Lord, please provide….” That phrase has been a major turning point for me.

That doesn’t make it any easier for a mother who may lose a child. But again, if we remove ourselves from the hurt of that scenario and look back at God’s big picture…what if the death of that child becomes a major part of research for a medical specialist who is later able to find a cure or treatment, saving countless future lives?

I know…I know. Our personal traumas are hard to see past. And while my example is not impossible, the reality is that in most cases, we likely will never know the WHY in the big picture of the traumas and loss we experience.

God is faithful. If there is way to answer our prayers, He will. But the reality is, that is not always possible. That is where faith comes in. The Old Testament can be a little bit hard to read sometimes. But there are some true gems in there, like this one, which was my verse of the day today:

God is with us. Believers or not. He is there with us. Wanting to help us through especially our darkness days. It can be hard to turn to him in those moments. But he IS there with us.

So why do bad things happen?

They just do.

But take hope in this. Our reward was never intended to be this life on earth. Our reward is yet to come. If you’re not sure, or if you are struggling with this. Dig into scripture. The truth is there.