The Benefit of Doubt: How Confronting Your Deepest Questions Can Lead to a Richer FaithSample

If God Is Good, Why Do Bad Things Happen?

Unexpected loss, painful tragedy, and life-changing bad news lead many people to throw God’s goodness into question. Maybe something terrible has happened in your life, such as:

• You lost a loved one.
• You lost a job.
• Your spouse asked for a divorce.
• You battle chronic physical or mental health challenges.
• You look around the world and see the innocent suffering.

If you’ve ever doubted God because of something that seems unfair, you’re certainly not alone. For a long time, people have wondered, if God is good and all-powerful, then why do bad things happen?

As followers of Jesus, do we have an answer to that question?

Is God either unable or unwilling to prevent evil? Or is it possible that Christianity actually makes sense of the existence of good and evil?

Rather than ignoring the negative aspects of life, the Bible contains countless stories of heartbreak, suffering, and pain.

God describes David as “a man after God’s own heart,” yet in the Psalms David cries out:

“Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?” Psalm 10:1 NIV

John the Baptist, the man chosen to prepare the way for Jesus, was wrongly arrested and sat in prison awaiting execution. Surely Jesus could have come and rescued His friend. But He didn’t, and John was beheaded.

Even Jesus, the Son of God, though a conquering, victorious King, is called, “A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3 NKJV).

Why would God show us that so many of His faithful servants experience pain? Perhaps we’re supposed to learn that God can be loving and allow suffering at the same time. Let’s try to understand why.

Above all else, Scripture teaches us that God is love and He created us for love. To be loved by Him and to love Him. To be loved by other people and to love them.

That is awesome. And that is the problem.

Picture someone you don’t love demanding that you love them, threatening, “Love me now or else!” Would you love that person? No. Because you can’t be forced to love. Love is only love when it’s freely chosen.

At His core, God is love and made us for love, so He gave us the power to choose. That’s the issue.

• If you can choose love, you can also choose hate.
• If you can choose right, you can also choose wrong.
• If you can choose good, you can also choose evil.

Freedom allows us to love. But it’s also our freedom that brought sin into the world. And, ultimately, sin leads to suffering. Could God remove evil and suffering? Sure. But to do so, He’d either have to remove our freedom, or He’d have to remove us.

So why does God allow bad things to happen in our lives?

I don’t know what the answer is in every specific situation, but I know the answer is not that God doesn’t love you.

God loves you so much that He sent Jesus to die for you. And Jesus’ death might help us understand at least part of the answer to this big question. Because Jesus’ death and resurrection show us that:

• There can be healing after hurt.
• There can be freedom after bondage.
• There can be resurrection after death.

God never promised to protect us from pain. In fact, Jesus actually assured us of the opposite. However, He did promise His presence in the midst of our pain. If you’re hurting, depressed, or discouraged, hold on to the promises from God’s Word. Look for some in today’s verses.