Why does God allow bad things to happen?
Tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis, famine, epidemics, drought, war, terrorism, political corruption… Sometimes it seems like evil reigns supreme. Yet the Bible clearly states—multiple times—that God is firmly in control and nothing happens that isn’t allowed by him. Therefore, if one is to actually believe the Bible, the next logical question is: If he’s so powerful, loving, and good, why does God allow bad things to happen—especially to his own people?
If one is to actually believe the Bible, the next logical question is: If he’s so powerful, loving, and good, why does God allow bad things to happen?
Since the beginning of time, writers, theologians, and professors have grappled with this issue, filling volumes upon volumes in response. This post will only scratch the surface of their findings, but I will say this: Young Christian, never be afraid of bad news. You have nothing to fear. We don’t like when bad stuff happens. It’s messy, uncomfortable, and inconvenient. But there’s a gold lining in all trials.
Hi, I’m Lauren Thell, author of Christian YA fiction and blogger for teens who are ready to exceed the world’s expectations.
In This Article
Imagine You Have it All.
Think about whatever all is for you. Maybe it’s killer athletic prowess and a confident body image. For some, ALL might be popularity, the kind where you walk the halls of your high school knowing everyone wants to know you and be you.
Others might see ALL as a sharp mind and an internship at a highly competitive company. ALL could include a great group of friends, a tight family, a devilishly cute boyfriend and the feeling that you’re at the top of your game with nowhere to go but up.
Now Imagine You Lose it All.
You don’t have to lose everything in order to feel like you’ve lost it all. You just have to lose whatever is most important—whatever ALL is for you. In my short story A Time To Heal, seventeen-year-old Kane just lost his ALL—his best friend, his girlfriend, his good looks, his shiny reputation—in an accident. His future has been altered, his faith shaken. To him, losing his life would’ve been more desirable.
That’s what it feels like to lose your ALL. Maybe this has already happened to you.
Someone else lost his ALL a long time ago—and this one’s a true story.
Moments in History When God Allowed Suffering
If you’re already familiar with the sobering account of Job, you know that his first claim to fame was in what he lost: everything but his wife and his life. Read the story, and you realize God clearly permitted this pain. Seem cruel?
Consider another historical incident of suffering—the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. Humans became exceedingly cocky at this point and decided to make a name for themselves by building a big tower. It might sound silly to us—who were they trying to impress?—but God didn’t find it funny.
This isn’t just an incident of God allowing something bad to happen. In this case, he caused it.
He scrambled their languages, making communication all but impossible, thwarting their plans and scattering them across the earth. Cruel? What’s wrong with unity and cooperation—two things the world lacks in extreme today? This isn’t simply an incident of God allowing something bad to happen. In this case, he caused it!
If these stories are all you read of the Bible, it would be easy to conclude that God isn’t as loving as we thought. Which is why we need to dig deeper. Because Romans 8:28 explicitly states God works for the good of those who love him.
If He Loves Me, Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Me?
Why does God allow pain in our lives or—worse—cause it himself?
To answer this question truthfully, you must understand who God is. God is love (1 John 4:7-9). He is perfect (Psalm 18:30) and all-knowing (1 John 3:20). God is almighty (Psalm 89:5-13). So if he’s loving and perfect, then he doesn’t enjoy seeing us suffer, even when we deserve it. I hate watching my kids go through tough things even when they’ve brought them on themselves.
To answer these questions truthfully, you must understand who God is.
But being all-knowing means God knows what will happen if, say, arrogant people are permitted to build a tower. Or what awful end you might meet if you’re allowed to climb the ladder of success without hindrance. God hates seeing his people suffer, but more than anything he hates watching them suffer eternity in hell, and sometimes he will intervene with his almighty power—or hold back—to make sure that doesn’t happen.
God knows the safest, happiest place for you to be is right next to him.
I Am NOT Afraid of Bad News.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Let’s flip that question, and ask a different one:
Why are good people afraid of bad news?
Let me make something clear: By good people, I mean God’s people. Because, let’s face it, none of us are truly good. Jesus made us good through his sacrifice.
So why are God’s people afraid of bad news? We love comfort and security and we accept blessings with eager hands, but the second any of that is shaken, reduced, or destroyed, we tremble with anger or fear. And why?
Dear Christian, you do not need to be afraid. You are God’s child, and at no point does he ever leave you to fend for yourself. You can be certain of this because he says so himself:
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6
This doesn’t mean you cannot mourn your losses. God even allows you to vent your anger over the things you don’t understand. But don’t forget to let him pick you back up and bless you again, because every time something bad happens, you become stronger—if you lean in closer to him.
Related: Life’s Trials Are Not What Make You Stronger
Look At the Horizon, Not Your Feet
With your limited human vision, you might not understand why God allowed you to suffer.
With your limited human vision, you might not understand why God allowed you to suffer that injury, or be rejected by that group of friends, or lose that loved one, or go through any number of bad things. No one likes to think about God causing these things on purpose.
But remember: God works for the good of those who love him. He will do what it takes to make you draw nearer to him, keep your faith in Christ alive, and stop relying on your own shaky abilities, which are sure to let you down.
Know this: God works for the good of those who love him.
Rejoice in your sufferings, because “suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (See Romans 5:1-11)
Never Be Afraid of Bad News
Look to the example found in Psalm 43. The psalmist starts out with a cry for help—“Vindicate me, my God”—in verse one. Then he morphs into what sounds like a bit—or a lot—of anger toward God: “Why have you rejected me?”
But I love what comes next. Instead of burying himself in self-pity, he continues on with a prayer that demonstrates not only his trust in God, but his expectation that God will bless him again. Not if, but when.
At the end, after the crying and the anger and the pleading? The psalmist starts talking to himself:
“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
That’s right, there’s no reason to fear the bad because your God has a purpose for it all, and he will bless you again.
Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
Proverbs 3:25-26
Be ready for the blessings!
Job received back everything he lost and then some. In A Time to Heal, Kane’s accident leads him to Claudia, who then…well, you’ll have to read the series to find out what happens next. 🙂
Bad things happen to good people, but as God’s child, you should never be afraid of bad news!
More Encouragement for Christian Teens
You don’t have to have all the answers.
But, hey, why not?
Bring me your questions about faith, life, God, the Bible… and I’ll help you find the answers.
Going through a rough patch right now? Check out these other psalms:
More verses for times of trial are highlighted in Where to Look in Scripture During Your Darkest Nights. Other posts to help bolster your faith: