Doubt, Faith, And The Space Between
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?
We’ve all heard, or likely even asked, the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” It’s a question many people struggle with, including myself. At some point in every human being’s life, they’ve gone through at least one hard thing and asked, “God, why are you letting this happen to me?” It’s so annoyingly human to ask this question. To wonder why war, death, natural disasters, and so many other horrible things happen. When I finally acknowledged this question sitting in the back of my mind, I was so irritated with myself for being painfully predictable.
The reality is that bad things happen. They happen to all people, “good” or “bad.” Being Christian doesn’t give you a pass; it often means you’ll face more heartbreak. Why, though? Honestly, we won’t get a real answer to that until we meet Jesus at the pearly gates, and I don’t like that. I’m an answer gal. I want to know the “why”. I want to see the reasoning behind decisions, and I don’t like that I’ll never know. Seriously, I really don’t like it. It’s the thing that keeps me up at night. Why does God let these things happen, and how am I supposed to trust that He is good in the midst of that?
How Do I Trust God When Things Are Hard?
I’ve gone through some hard things in my life. I won’t get into the nitty-gritty of it all, but enough that I genuinely think I’ve reached my quota, but I know there’s more to come. A constant argument I have with God is, “How am I supposed to trust you when you keep letting bad things happen to me?” I think of Job’s story. Before Job was tested, Satan got permission from God to test Job.
“6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan[b] also came among them. 7 The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ 8 And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’ 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.’ 12 And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”
ob 1:6-12 ESV
God willingly offers Job up to the enemy, and his one condition for his suffering is, “But wait, don’t kill him!” This is a scene from the bible I’ve struggled with. In seasons of my life where I felt like a Job-like character, I think of this scene and imagine God hanging out on his throne, sharing a few drinks with the angels, and watching Earth like a trashy reality show. The thing about going through trials is they often make you question God’s character. Over the years of heartache, my view of God went from loving father, creator, friend, and protector to a really bad reality television producer trying to produce drama for the sake of ratings.
God Is…
We don’t know why God allowed Job to be tested, and we don’t understand why we go through trials ourselves, but we do know the truth about who God is. God is Jehovah-Rapha, the Lord our Healer; Jehovah-Tsuri, the Lord our Rock; Jehovah-Shalom, the Lord is Peace; Ma’on, Our Dwelling Place; Messiah, the Anointed One; and so much more! Over and over through scripture, God shows up in big, miraculous ways. He saves the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and brings them to the promised land; He answers Hannah’s prayers for a child with her son Samuel; He heals all sorts of sickness, sorrow, and pain; and then he sends his son to die an agonizing death to spare us from an eternity apart from Him. The God in the Bible is the exact same today. God is still working miracles in the brokenness of our world.
Why Does It Seem Something Bad Has To Happen For God To Show Up?
When I started dealing with my anger with God, I finally spoke out loud the thoughts that had been bouncing in my head for years: “How can I trust that God is good when every time I’ve seen Him show up has been after He let something bad happen to me?” I said these words out loud and immediately freaked out. Not only was I a little worried about being smote (the proper past tense of smite for those wondering) by a lightning bolt, but I also felt incredibly ashamed for not trusting God.
I grew up in the church, hearing all about how you should unquestioningly trust God because that’s what faith is all about, and if you doubted him, you were clearly doing something wrong. The truth is, though, it’s okay not always to be sure. Yes, we’re called to have faith and trust God, but doubt is normal. It’s human, and loving God doesn’t negate your humanity. You’re not saved and given an on/off switch for your humanity (my fellow vampire diaries friends get it). Asking questions is part of who we are. Being annoyed about not getting answers is also a part of who we are.
God Is Good
Here’s how it all comes together. God is good. That’s it. We live in a broken world with broken people, so bad things are going to happen. That doesn’t make God any less good. One day, in between worship sets in Heaven, we might get our answers. We might finally understand the “why,” but for now, stand in awe of the God who will hold us as we cry, heal us when we get hurt, protect us when we are attacked, and save us from ourselves.
Releasing December 2nd!
Save the Date! December 2nd the workbook version of my book will be available for purchase on Amazon. This is the version I recommend so you can write out your prayers and journal in the book. But if you are a digital person, you can pre-order the Kindle version now.
