Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

©2007 by Sheri Leigh Adams - All Rights Reserved Why do bad things happen to good people? It’s an age old question that has either gone unanswered or returns with the same answer. In truth, there is only ONE reason that anything bad happens to anybody: The Fall of Humans. Written in the book of beginnings is also the beginning of the fall of man from righteousness: Genesis 3:1-21 (paraphrased in my own words). God put man in the Garden of Eden and made for him a helpmate. The man was named Adam and Adam would later name the woman Eve. God had told them that they were free to eat of any tree in the Garden EXCEPT ONE TREE. God told them on the day they ate of that tree they would die. Still being innocent, they did not know it would be a spiritual death and not a physical one as well. When the serpent tempted Eve of the tree’s fruit’s good looks and what not, and she learned she would NOT die (physically) and that she would instead be wise like God, she took a bite. It tasted good and nothing “bad” had happened as of yet so she offered it to Adam and he also ate of the fruit. NOTE***God gave human beings FREE WILL. He told Adam and Eve to NOT eat of the fruit or there would be consequences. They MADE THEIR CHOICE. All of a sudden when BOTH had chosen to eat the fruit, both of their eyes and conscious became aware that they were naked and they both felt shame. Now shame was a new thing for Adam and Eve. Up until this point, they walked around the direct way God had made them; in the nude – and they were NOT ashamed. Now they ate of what was forbidden and they WERE ashamed. NOTE****There are consequences to every action we make and every action those around us make, whether or not we know the people. Suddenly, God comes walking through the Garden, Adam and Eve here Him and they hide, clothed now with Fig Leaves. God is not stupid; He already knew what they had done. God called for Adam and Eve and when Adam replied that he was afraid because he was naked, God asked the question. Had they eaten from the forbidden tree? This is where the first time of blame came into the human race, and it was directed at God! Adam basically blamed God for giving him the woman who “made him eat” of the forbidden fruit. Now God turns to Eve and asks her what she has done. She turns around and blames the serpent for her bad decision. Well, when we do what is not right, there are consequences we must face. First of all, God cursed the serpent to crawl on its belly and eat the dust of the earth for being so sly and tempting the woman. To the woman God cursed her in childbirth and said her pains would greatly increase. To the man, he cursed the ground on which he would have to work to earn his food and his living. Finally, because humans now knew the truth, and had eaten from the tree of Good and Evil, God was worried they too would eat from the Tree Of Life and live forever, God drove them from the Garden of Eden and protected it with cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life. (End of my summary of Genesis 3) Okay, so man/woman fell because of a stupid snake. No wonder I abhor and fear them so much. God warned them NOT to do something and they went ahead and did it anyway to the breaking of God’s heart. They paid dearly for one bite of one piece of fruit, and we are bearing the consequences to this day. You will notice that God gave Adam and Eve a choice. He did NOT force them to stay away from it or put a fence around it to ward them off. No, He gave them a choice to make their own decisions. In that way we KNOW that God is a gentle man aka gentleman. Only gentlemen do not force their way on others. Only bullies do that. Now you may say, “but I didn’t do anything wrong! I was abused as a child or I was raped or I lost my job because he lied…” It is not always OUR decisions which hurt us. When free will came into the world, it came for all humans, past, present and yet to come. YOU did not have to make a choice to be hurt. That choice was made by someone else and you are hurting because of it. “Well why didn’t God stop it? Where was He when this happened? He could have stopped it if He is all powerful!!!” Yes, God could have stopped it, but at what cost? Yes, you were hurt and it seemed like God was anywhere but there with you. Trust me, as a survivor of sexual abuse of insurmountable numbers, I have asked these questions myself and even yelled out loud at God blaming Him for the miserable life I had been living. However, if He had stopped what was happening, how would we ever learn some of life’s toughest lessons? I can’t tell you the lessons I have learned as I journey through the healing land. And how would God be glorified in your life if He had not permitted you to go through what you did? Remember, when we are weak, HE IS STRONG through our weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Secondly, a reason He does not stop all suffering, whether to good or bad people, is because once we learn what we are from our suffering, we can then share the glory of overcoming obstacles, pain and trials. With God, all things are possible Matthew 19:26. Romans 5:3-5 says it clearer than I can come up with words: 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we are healed from our pains, we then can glorify God by sharing our triumphs in Him to those going through where we have just come out of. A third reason God does not always stop bad things from happening to good people is simply so we know just how much we need to rely on Him. He wants us to be aware of how much WE NEED HIM. Without Him we can do nothing as already stated. He WANTS US TO NEED HIM. Through trials and persecutions, we learn to lean on God and only God because no one is stronger, more loving, more caring and who heals completely. Bad things are going to happen until the end of this planet we call Earth. When Jesus returns to retrieve His bride the Church home to be Him, then and only then will all suffering for all believers finally and eternally end. Until then, like myself, rejoice when you can in your sorrows and your pains and your trials, because God is with you, often carrying you when you don’t even know it. Trust Him. Lean on Him. Remember, He wants YOU to call out to HIM first. And do not be afraid to share your triumphs along the way with others who may be walking the same road yet not quite as far along as yourself. You will be an inspiration to them and a blessing to God. Stay strong in Him. Remember when YOU are WEAK, HE is STRONG in you and your weaknesses. ©2007 by Sheri Leigh Adams - All Rights Reserved