Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
It doesn’t make any sense. Couldn’t God have prevented this? Why does a good God allow these things to happen?
When bad things happen it often leaves us asking “Why?” or “Does God hate me?” It may leave us angry, confused and feeling defeated with questions there are seemingly no answers to. It’s especially difficult when it happens to the good people we know.
Maybe you’ve been around a child who kept asking you the same thing—“Why?” Children are filled with questions, and we don’t always have the answers. The same is true for this question. We can only see a portion of the answer; the Bible says, “The secret things belong to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
But there’s one thing we can know for sure: Even in the midst of chaos, God’s love for us is constant.
He loves you more than words can describe. It’s a love so deep we can’t even grasp it—a holy love beyond human measure. And because of that love, He wants to bring you peace in the bad times and comfort during even the most terrible experiences.
God is a just, merciful and loving God who gives us free will. We tend to think of ourselves as good people but the truth is that we sin and rebel against Him. This is how evil and suffering entered our world.
Our sin takes our peace away. We often think peace is the absence of problems, but peace is the presence of Jesus. Once we believe God is in control, our response to bad things is completely different.
God hasn’t forgotten you or left you to deal with the bad things by yourself. That’s why He sent Jesus Christ to earth for us—to break the barrier sin has created between us and God, and provide a way for us to be in relationship with Him.
You may not understand everything now, and there are no guarantees—except this: that God wants to be with you. Not just today but for eternity.
Step 1 – God’s Purpose: Peace and Life
The Bible says:
"We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 5:1
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."
John 3:16
"I [Jesus] have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Our Separation from God
The Bible says:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Romans 3:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
"There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear."
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Bridge: The Cross
The Bible says:
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God."
1 Peter 3:18
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Romans 10:9
Here is how you can accept Christ into your life:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner)
- Be willing to turn from your sins. (Repent)
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave. (Be saved by faith)
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive him as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I’m a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe that He died for my sin and that You raised Him to life. I want to trust Him as my Savior and follow Him as Lord, from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do Your will. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen."
Did you pray this prayer?
