Why Do Bad Things Happen?

When I was in elementary school, my best friend got a Nintendo and invited me over to play games on it. It was then that I realized that if I had a Nintendo, my life would be perfect. It was the one thing missing and would make my life complete. Of course, I was wrong and the joy passed as I then wanted a new game and then another new game, and so on. How many of us have had similar thoughts (although the object of such admiration may have been different for others)? Where does this idea that we need something more to make our lives better come from? It all started in a garden, a long time ago.

When God created the heavens and the earth, He created it very good. Nothing was missing, everything had purpose. Adam and Eve only needed to walk with God and enjoy His goodness. And yet, they were deceived into thinking that God was holding them back from more. The irony is that humanity was already more like God than any of the other creatures. By taking the fruit and knowing about good and evil, in many ways they became less like God and unknowingly set the rest of humanity on a crazy downward spiral. By the time you get to Noah, the thoughts and intentions of humans were far beyond just taking forbidden fruit. They were set on evil all the time.

The consequences of sin have been and continue to be incredibly devastating. Our relationships with God, with others, and even with the world around us have been altered. One person’s sin can cause catastrophic consequences on someone totally unrelated to it. It feels unjust and we wonder how a good God can allow it. But we must remember that the very fabric of the physical world is broken, the worst result, which we had been warned of, is death. All have sinned. All deserve death. Anything past our first breath is God’s mercy on our lives.

What further complicates matters is that we have an enemy that intends to draw us away from God. He continues to whisper in the ear, through many different means, the lie that “if only I had…” my life would be better. We so often believe that lie and instead of letting our desire bring us to God, we go off in search of another scheme seeking a happiness that is not possible on earth. 

Why do bad things happen? It’s a complicated mess of our sin, other people’s sin, and an enemy working hard to turn us from God. When bad things happen, and they will, let them send you to your knees. Seek the God our ancestors turned from instead of blaming the One who offered us a world that was very good and we messed up. Pray for contentment so that you can combat the age old lie that you need something more.

Here are some questions to ask yourself and others to spark some spiritual conversations: 

1. What are some things you thought that, if only you had, would make your life would be perfect? How long did the joy you sought after last?

2. What are some bad things that have happened, whether to you or to others, that have made you wonder why bad things happen? 

3. How can the hope of restored relationship in Heaven guide you through the complicated mess of sin’s consequences on our lives now?