Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people? This is a question that has been asked by Christians and Non-Christians alike, and one that has been stirring in my heart recently. When people are faced with tragedy, sickness, death, loss, etc., we tend to wrestle with doubt and questioning. But before we get to the “why,” we must first define the word “good.”
At some point, I am sure you have heard someone say, “He is such a good guy,” or, “She is a great girl.” Or maybe you have examined someone’s life and deemed them “good” by your own standards. The issue is that we all have different standards by which we determine someone’s “goodness.” One person may be considered “great” according to some and “terrible” according to others. So where is the line drawn for what we deem “good” or “not good?”
Mark 10:18 says, ” ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus asked. ‘Only God is truly good.’” In Ephesians, it says that we were all born into a sinful nature inherited through Adam. Though we may perform “good” deeds and possess “good” intentions, none of us are inherently good. The Bible is clear that only God is good. By default, none of us are deserving of God’s grace. However, he freely gives it to us out of HIS goodness, not our own.
By this measure, the question, “why do bad things happen to good people?” is fundamentally flawed. That being said, we may still question, “If God is good, why does he allow bad things to happen to us?”
Genesis 3 outlines the fall of humanity and the beginning of our need for redemption. Through this fallen state, a separation was created between humanity and divinity. The curses in Genesis 3 outline our subjection to disease, suffering, deception, injustice, and death. This separation was the result of sin, but rather than give us a permanent punishment for sin, God gave us a savior from sin. God sent his Son to accept punishment on our behalf. But we are still subject to living in a fallen world. 1 John 5:19 says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.”
Recently, I was reading through the book of Job. Job 1:8-11 says, “Then the Lord asked Satan, ‘Have you noticed my servant Job? He is the finest man in all the earth. He is blameless—a man of complete integrity. He fears God and stays away from evil.’ Satan replied to the Lord, ‘Yes, but Job has good reason to fear God. You have always put a wall of protection around him and his home and his property. You have made him prosper in everything he does. Look how rich he is! But reach out and take away everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face!’” I have read this countless times, but I paused to reflect on this passage. I noticed that God was the one who mentioned Job first, and not Satan (the accuser). I thought to myself, “Why did God want to test Job?” I felt the Holy Spirit whisper back to me, “It wasn’t about Job passing, it was about Satan failing.” God did not mention Job to destroy him, but because he was confident in what he had already formed within him. This shifted my entire perspective. God knew the end result, even through Job’s suffering. That doesn’t discredit the horrible tragedy and loss that Job experienced, but it does show a God that was with him in it. When we think of Job, we think of his suffering, but it’s really a testament of God’s protection and goodness. Satan did not win in Job’s story, and he doesn’t have to win in yours either.
As a final thought, I would like to note that Job lived before Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Job could not control his subjection to suffering and tragedy, but he was able to choose how he responded to suffering and tragedy. Likewise, we also have a choice in how we respond. However, we have something Job didn’t have: we have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave. Romans 8:11 says, “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.” Job trusted without seeing the full redemptive picture. We trust knowing the grave has already been defeated. Our hope is not just that suffering will end one day, but that resurrection power is already at work in us today. What Job longed for in faith, we now carry within us in fullness. So while we may never understand the “why” behind our suffering, we can know the “who” that stands with us in it. The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now dwells within us—not as a distant observer, but as our helper, comforter, and strength. We are not abandoned in a fallen world; we are empowered within it. Suffering may still come, and the enemy may attempt to accuse, attack, and afflict. But we have victory over the enemy. Grace and peace ✌🏼
The Bible Files. 