Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People? (Pt. 2)

Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question that people have been asking for many generations. In twenty years of studying religions and their worldviews, I have found that only a Biblical worldview gives a redemptive purpose to suffering, hardship and trials. Ultimately, this can be seen in the life of the Holy Bible’s central figure: Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered by dying on a cross to reconcile sinners to God. The death Jesus suffered was redemptive in that it brought life to all who choose to put their faith in Him.

In this blog I want to give you the three main redemptive purposes of suffering, hardship and trials.

1. Enduring hardships produce the character (righteousness and peace) of God in our life.

I have a great relationship with my father. In fact, I consider him my best friend. My father did many things to demonstrate his love for me. He spent time with me, fed me and he bought me good things. He also disciplined me when I needed it. Now that I am a father, I realize how important my father’s discipline was for my character development.

The Bible teaches us that like a good father, God uses hardships in life to discipline us. Without discipline, we will never possess the character we need to act righteously.

Hebrews 12:7, 11 says: (7) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?

(11) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

2. Trials help us develop perseverance in our life.

If we want to accomplish something great in life, we need to possess the ability to persevere. Sooner or later, we are going to face opposition and difficult times. Without perseverance, we will give up when the going gets tough. Therefore, perseverance is one of the most vital character traits we need to develop.

James 1:2-4 says: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

As we go through trials and learn how to endure, the suffering we face during these times is redemptive because it matures us and makes us complete. As mature men and women, we can now rejoice during our trials because we know our faith is being perfected during our most trying moments.

3. The crown of glory is attained on the road of suffering.

Before taking over Every Nation Tallahassee Church as Senior Pastor, I worked at Florida State University as a strength and conditioning coach. During the glory years of Florida State football in the 1990’s I observed an interesting phenomenon during meal times after practice.

There was a certain time of the year when the football team would be extremely loud during dinner. This time of the year was preseason conditioning which included early morning matt drills. It was impossible to not notice that they were bonding in a special and unique way. This time of bonding always happened during their worst season of suffering. Florida State football attained more glory than any other collegiate football team during the 1990’s because they embraced suffering together as a team. Almost all of the players attributed their unprecedented success to the hardships they experienced during matt drills.

1 Peter 5:10 says: And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

There is no glory in life without first going through some sort of suffering!

Next time you are going through a difficult time in life, remember God is using this moment to develop in you Godly character. With Godly character, you will be able to preserve during your trials. Also, you will mature and become complete while persevering. Finally, God’s glory will be manifested through your life as you handle trials with character and perseverance.

Why do bad things happen to good people? They happen because our heavenly Father loves us and is committed to us becoming people who reflect His glory on planet earth.

How do you handle your hardships?