12 Questions: Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

Southbrook Church's summer series is called '12 Questions.'  We are engaging 12 difficult questions about our faith and following Jesus.

One of the most challenging questions is this, 'Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People.' All of us have asked this at one point or another.  All of us have some pain in our lives, some tragedy that has caused us to wonder why this is happening to us.

I am not sure that there is one answer that totally satisfies our struggles.  But let me offer six truths that can help us as we deal with this heart wrenching question...

1. Evil is not from God -Genesis 1.31 reminds us that God created the world perfect.  God's perfection allowed us the freedom to chose to love him.  We took that freedom and turned our back on God, allowing chaos and sin to enter.  If God were to eliminate evil today, then there would be none of us left!

2. God is good -Matthew 7.9-11 tells us that God is like a parent who only wants the best for their children.  An inescapable fact of life is that God is good.  We are surrounded by God's goodness so much, that at times it is easy to overlook God's goodness.

3. God can redeem evil -Romans 8.28 speaks to the fact that God can make beauty out of chaos. Story after story in the Bible points to this truth; that out of darkness God can bring light. The Bible's central story: of Jesus defeating sin on the Cross, is the supreme example of God redeeming evil.

4. God wins in the end -Revelation 21.4 gives us great hope, as it points towards the truth that God will win in the end. Contrary to the song 'Circle of Life' from the Lion King movie, our life is not trapped in an unending circle.  Rather the world had a specific beginning and will end in a similar fashion. God does indeed win in the end!

5. How does rejecting God make life any easier? Time and time again, in the midst of tragedy I hear this sentiment.  Tragedy naturally shakes up our lives, makes us question what is important in life. Life is tough enough with God in our lives. I can't imagine going through life without the presence and relationship that Jesus offers!

6. What is your God doing about evil?  At times and in the right context I will ask this question.  It is a simple one, and one that can truly alter a conversation. To the skeptic who blasts Christianity, I will ask, 'What is your God doing about evil?' What is the Universe doing to personally comfort me?  What is your nature God doing to provide me with answers in life.  What are your crystals or your church doing to provide me peace?

The God of the Bible is moving heaven and earth to rescue us.  The God of the Bible sent his son into this world. He absorbed our pain, our sin, our suffering.  He took our brokenness and carried it to the cross. He rose from the dead, loved us enough to leave us, but did not leave us alone. He left us His Word and the Church to guide and love us.  He promised to return again to defeat sin and death once and for all.

70 years ago a young woman survived the horrors of a Nazi Prison Camp. After being set free Corrie Ten Boom wrote these words: 'No matter how deep our darkness, He is deeper still.'

Truly our only hope is to align ourselves with Jesus, to commit and trust in Him.  He is the only one who has done something and is still working to change our lives.

Forgetting your Father on Father's Day

I admit, I would rather forget my father on Father’s Day.

He was a seminary student when I was born, a pastor when I was a child, a President of a Christian Ministry when I was in High School, and a Trustee of a Christian University when I was an undergraduate.

But most of his life he was living a lie.

Domestic abuse, substance abuse, absentee father, vindictive boss, self-aggrandizer, and master manipulator.  

The Family Court Judge granted restraining orders against him, which we carried around for years. He died a few years ago, separated from his own family, never having seen his grandkids... 

You can see why I would rather forget my father on Father’s Day.  

The good news is that God is at work and apparently, loves tragic irony -as now I am a Husband, and Father and a Pastor.  Looking back I have learned a few lessons regarding my father’s life.

There is hope - Life change can occur.  It is laborious and taxing, but with God all things are possible.  God can alter the path of our life...!

His trajectory of life does not have to be yours - God's plan for your life is unique and you will not follow the same pattern of anyone else.

Admit there are pockets of good - There are good times to be remembered for sure, but it is far easier to ignore them.  Being forced to remember something positive humanizes the person who caused so much pain.

It is easier to run from, then to embrace the hardship - Even though running from hardship is a normal response, it tends to isolate ourselves from the reality in which we too can hurt others. I've learned to lean in to the pain, embrace it, and use it to help others.

Give yourself grace when you personally fail - My failures do not mean that I am replicating my father's life. Everyone will fail and extra grace is needed to those who have had such poor role models in life.

Some of us do wish to forget our father's of Father's Day.

12 Questions Needs Your Help

Southbrook Church's 2014 Summer Series is called 12 Questions. 

I don't know about you, but I often struggle with doubt and questions about my faith in Christ.

Rather than run from these questions, this summer we are going to embrace them and learn together from God's Word.

Here is the lineup of topics that we will be talking about this summer at Southbrook Church.

• Why Pray?
• Why do bad things happen to good people?
• Why did Jesus have to die?
• Is following Jesus worth all the struggles that I am going through?
• Is Satan real?
• Why read the Bible?
• How can I share God at Work?
• Can I really know God's will for my life?
• Why isn't being good, good enough?

We intentionally made room to address a few more of your questions.  So what are some other topics that we should address in our 12 Questions series?