When Bad Things Happen to Good People

WHY? This is a fundamental question that all of us ask. It is the question "why?" And when it comes to suffering, it is an emphatic question indeed. Why is there pain in the world? Why do tragedies happen? Why is there war, racism, social injustice, and suffering? Why do "innocent", good people suffer?

One of our youth coordinators, a wonderful, saintly woman and the mother of four great children, is now battling cancer. It is quite a blow to all of us, especially her dear husband, as good a man as you will ever meet, who is a member of the session (administrative board) of our church. When they called me to come out to their house at 9:30 at night last Thursday, I knew something must be out of kilter. But I was shocked to the core by the news. Why was this fine Christian woman going through such a terrible trial?

The lament of "why?" becomes very real when they are applied to us and our friends and parishioners. Why her? Why us? Why me? What did I do to deserve this? The truth is that bad things do happen to us even when we do not think we deserve them. This brings us to the question "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

Before we seek to answer that question, consider the presuppositions that lie behind it. The author Warren Wiersbe claims that there are several assumptions that lie behind our even being able to ask that question. These assumptions reveal our view about the universe. Aldous Huxley wrote, "It is strictly impossible to be a human being and not have views of some kind about the universe at large."

Weirsbe gives us thoughts to ponder when we ask the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people," we are basically assuming five things. The first is that there are values in life. In other words, there are some "good" things and some "bad" things. How we define what is good and bad is another question altogether. But however we define good and bad, we would rather have the good things happen to us than the bad. The second assumption is that the universe is logical and orderly. We believe in a universe that "makes sense." When some sort of tragedy occurs, we look for some explanation. We believe that there is a cause for things happening in the universe.

The third assumption is that people are important. We are fairly unconcerned when bad things happen to ears of corn, or fish, or cows. People are different, in our estimation, from plants and animals, and are more important. The fourth assumption is that we believe life is worth living. If we judged life not to be worth living then why should we bother to ask questions at all? We believe life is worth living otherwise we would just end it all. And finally, the fifth assumption is that we believe we can find answers that will help us in understanding life. These are the assumptions behind the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

I read of an epitaph on a tombstone in an old cemetery, which read, "Pause, my friend, as you go by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be. Prepare, my friend, to follow me!" Quite a challenge, isn’t it? I also read that someone added this footnote to that epitaph: "To follow you is not my intent, until I know which way you went!" Choices. We are all faced with them. They impact our lives forever. God has given us this freedom.

But sometimes God may have a purpose beyond our hurt and unhappiness. In the Bible we find a story of Joseph. What happened to Joseph could be construed as "bad." He was hated by his brothers. They threw him into a pit and sold him to an Egyptian caravan as a slave. He was torn away from his aged father. While he was in Egypt he was wrongfully accused and thrown into prison where he spent several years. Finally he was elevated to the position of Prime Minister of Egypt.

All of this was for the purpose of eventually providing for the needs of his family and the household of Israel. In fact, Joseph said to his brothers, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is know being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20). God is working out a purpose in all things. It says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Sometimes we think we have to understand the why of everything. Rather, what we really need to do is to trust. We must trust that God is good. We must trust that He is working out His purpose in our lives, even through the darkest difficulties. Sometimes that is a difficult task indeed. When we are in the midst of suffering, it is tempting to rise up in rebellion against God. It is easy to blame Him for our suffering. And sometimes it is hard to believe that He is good. But it is at this point where we must choose. You see, our own reaction to suffering, rather than the suffering itself, may determine whether we experience grace or despair. It has been said that the same sun which melts the butter hardens the clay. Our reaction to suffering may determine the result of suffering. God asks us to trust Him.

The greatest evidence we have that God is good is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus died on the Cross for us. There, on the Cross, is the greatest evidence of the pure love of God. While we might not see the details of all God is working out, through the Cross we understand that God will do what is right. In the Cross we come to understand that "In everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. If we can catch a vision of the goodness of God in the Cross, we will be able to trust the Lord in spite of the most difficult times.

The prophet Habakkuk was one who had come to an understanding of the goodness of God. He wrestled with the question of good and evil. His book ends with a tremendous testimony of faith. Listen to the words in Habakkuk 3:17-18,

Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

What a testimony to the grace of God! You can only come to this kind of attitude about life through knowing Jesus, who will walk with you through the darkest times. I must confess, I do not know how someone without a firm faith in Jesus Christ can endure the trials of this world. Pain and suffering apart from Christ is enough to lead anyone to despair. Without Christ there is no purpose to life. Without the reality of eternity and a home in heaven when you die, life is a futile and vain endeavor. The courageus youth director and her husband have a strong faith, and that faith in the Lord is seeing them through this perilous time.

They know that in Christ, and through Christ, life has meaning. And in Christ even the deepest pit of despair can have meaning. He may not give you all the answers here and now, but He Himself is the answer to life. Jesus is acquainted with grief and sorrow. He endured it. He can give you the grace to endure it and come out on the other side with a life worth living. Praise the Lord!