Why Do "Bad" Things Happen To "Good" People?

So many times, I get asked this question from people who know that I am a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ. I remember when I first moved up to DMV area and started working in DC on a major construction project getting asked this question by a subcontractor. He was from Honduras, and said something similar to this question, "If there is a God, why does He allow innocent people and kids to be murdered in my home country?" I immediately prayed that God would give me the words to say to be able to reach this man's ears, mind, and ultimately his heart.

I responded by telling him that God created everything, unfortunately once Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge, we were sent to a world corrupted by sin. God does not force His will on us or control us like a puppet, which is a misconception about the life of a Christian. God gives each of us our own free will to make choices and decisions throughout our lives. However, He already knows the outcome of each decision and how that affects not only our own present and future, but by those around us who may be affected by those choices. God loves all His children and doesn’t want any of us to suffer. If you have faith in God, then everything that happens around us has meaning, which doesn’t make sense from our “micro” vantage point. However, from God’s “macro” vantage point everything is all working out for our ultimate good.

It is impossible to know the full reasoning behind God's actions. However, it is important to remember that God is all-knowing and all-loving, so even though we may not understand why bad things happen to good people, we can trust that He has a plan and that He is looking out for us. We also know that God gives us the strength to cope with and overcome any hardship that comes our way. Ultimately, it is up to us to trust in God and to choose to live our lives in obedience to His will.

When we pray, we expect immediate response with the result we are expecting. God doesn’t work that way; He hears our pray and gives us a test to allow us to gain what we are asking. In doing so we can turn that test into a test-imony. Here are a few examples of what I am saying below:

• When you pray for Strength, God will give you Difficulties to make you stronger.

• When you ask for Wisdom, God will give you Problems to solve.

• When you ask for Courage, God will give you Dangers to overcome.

• When you ask for Love, God will give you Troubled People to help.