For generations, people have pondered why bad things happen to good people. If God is good, why does He allow evil to occur in the world? The answer lies in God’s gift of freewill. He has allowed us to make our own decisions, regardless of how disastrous the consequences may be. Love requires freewill, so without it we could never choose to love Him.
If He required our love and devotion rather than requested it, we would not have the genuine collaborative relationship He desires. We cannot have freedom without being ready to accept the consequences it carries.
There is a tendency to blame God when tragedy occurs, especially by those who do not have a relationship with Him. To be certain, we live in a world that is engulfed in a spiritual battle, and that realm certainly influences the actions of human kind. However, acts of violence or destruction are carried out by individuals, not by spirits. Sin is always a choice, no one forces our hand. We engage in behavior that is contrary to the nature of God, and the ramifications may be such that we set off a chain reaction of events that end in tragedy for someone else.
Someone makes a choice to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking and ends up taking the life of another. The parents of the one who died may blame God and question how a loving God would allow such a tragedy to occur. Again, God did not cause the death of their child. It was caused by the choice of the one who was driving drunk. If we want the freedom to love, we must put up with the consequences of what happens when that freedom is abused. It is no comfort to the family of the victim, but it is important to understand that God is not to be blamed. Instead, we can rejoice that our loving God comforts us in our despair. He provides the grace and power that allows us to move on in our lives, to continue to live the life we were created to live.
We were designed to live in unity with God, free from sin. We can blame Adam and Eve for our debacle, but if we are honest with ourselves, we would have fared no better in their situation. Even now we cannot make it through even a single day without sinning and acting in ways that are contrary to the will of God. As we move closer and closer to Him, we will discover that we are able to deal with tragedy and loss within the perspective of His kingdom and His calling on our lives. Regardless of what happens in this world, as long as our eyes are fixed on Him, He will help us deal with every situation in which we find ourselves.
Bad things don’t happen to good people, because none of us are good. We have all fallen short of what God intended for our lives (Romans 3:23). Bad things happen to all people because all people have sinned; all people have been given freewill. Regardless of our situation on earth, we are always free to choose our thoughts and actions. There may be consequences to our choices, but that is the price of freedom. True hope and freedom are found only in Jesus Christ. We can’t have freedom without pain. We must be careful to not blame God when horrible things happen in this life. Instead, pray that He will change the hearts of those who do evil and that they would repent and turn to God. Only when people exercise their freedom for love will we find peace, and this is the message Christ brought to us. When people love one another, evil flees. Let us be people of love who reflect God’s glory in every aspect of our lives so that peace might reign throughout the world.
Question: Are there things in your life for which you have been blaming God?