In these tough economic times it seems more and more people are finding themselves in difficult and unfortunate scenarios. After receiving some unfavorable news, one of my Facebook friends recently updated their status by asking the question: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I will make a humble attempt to answer this very important and inquisitive question.
In order to answer this question correctly, I need to use the best selling book of all time as a reference—the Holy Bible. In regards to this question, the Bible gives us illumination on two essential facts: (1) All people will experience trouble in life, and (2) all people are sinners.
The Bible teaches us that trouble is an inevitable part of life. In John 16:33 Jesus said: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
Jesus also taught that everybody experiences storms sooner or later. Therefore, those who are wise build on His teachings in order to prevent their house from collapsing when the inclement weather of life arrives at their doorstep. Those who are foolish don’t build their lives on Jesus’ teaching, and as a result, are not prepared when the storms arrive.
24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Jesus in Matthew 7:24-27)
Those who are wise and possess a Biblical worldview actually expect bad things to happen in life. The difference with these people is the storms of life do not destroy them because they build their lives with a strong foundation on the Rock of Christ.
Before I fully answer my Facebook friend’s question that many people ponder, and give the redemptive purpose of suffering, I must first address the presupposition that people are good. According to Romans 3:23, every person has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. How many times does a person have to sin to be a sinner? One! We have all sinned at least once; therefore, we all are sinners. An honest inspection of every person’s life would reveal much more than just one sin.
Please allow me to reiterate this point. The Bible teaches that people are not inherently good. When Adam and Eve sinned, all who were born after them were tainted with a sinful nature. Every night every news station reminds us of this fact as they report on the dirty laundry of humanity. That is why Jesus descended from heaven to die on a cross for the sins of humanity. All who put their faith in Him can receive His grace and be “born again” with a new righteous nature (Romans 5:12-20 and Romans 6).
Possessing the knowledge that goodness is not an innate human trait, and trouble is an inevitable part of our existence, will aid us in better understanding how to deal with trials and properly process them. It also helps us better appreciate the common grace God gives to us all as we experience the good things in life. Finally, it humbles us to seek the redemptive grace we all need from Jesus Christ to change our sinful nature.
Stayed tuned for Part 2!
No comments:
Post a Comment