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] came that they may have life and have it abundantly."
John 10:10
Step 2 – The Problem: Sin Separates Us
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 free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23
The Bible says:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
Proverbs 14:12
"But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
Isaiah 59:2
Step 3 – God’s Remedy: The Cross
The Bible says:
"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
1 Timothy 2:5
"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God."
1 Peter 3:18
"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
Step 4 – Our Response: Receive Christ
The Bible says:
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me."
Revelation 3:20
"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"If you confess with your mouth that 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 receive Christ:
- Admit your need. (I am a sinner.)
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent) and ask for God's forgiveness.
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit. (Receive Jesus as Lord and Savior)
We suggest a prayer like this one:
"Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I want to turn from my sins, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ is Your Son. I believe He died for my sins and that You raised Him to life. I want Him to come into my heart and to take control of my life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow Him as my Lord from this day forward. In Jesus' Name, amen."
Did you pray this prayer?
