Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People? | Ask A Pastor Ep. 12

Why do bad things happen to good people?

It's one of the most difficult and personal questions we face. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, a devastating diagnosis, a broken relationship, or an unexpected tragedy, suffering has a way of leaving us searching for answers.

In this episode of *Ask A Pastor*, Pastor Todd explores what the Bible says about pain, suffering, and God's presence in the middle of life's hardest moments. Looking at passages from Romans, Job, John, James, and the life of Jesus Himself, we discover that while Scripture doesn't always give us a simple explanation for suffering, it does give us something better—a God who walks with us through it.

Join us as we discuss why suffering exists in a fallen world, why not all suffering is punishment, how God can use pain to shape our faith, and the hope we have because of Christ's victory over death. 

If you've ever wrestled with questions about suffering, this conversation will encourage you to trust God's character even when you don't understand His plans.

We may not always know the reason for our suffering, but we can trust the God who walks with us through it.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:01

What's up, everybody? Welcome back to another episode of Ask a Pastor. So awesome to be with you today. Uh, we're in the midst of vacation Bible school week. So things are crazy here at Hope Church. So if you need somewhere for your kid to go to vacation Bible school, if you're listening uh at the time of this recording, we'd love to have you. Uh, but we're excited to have another episode of Ask a Pastor. Uh, so encouraged by all your uh uh by your all your comments uh and all your encouragement. Those of you that stopped me, I appreciate you so very much. Uh my hope is that the world tells us that the church is not willing to answer difficult questions. My hope is that you see uh I'm a pastor, a pastor who's working, a pastor who is in the trenches, that is willing to be open, honest, and answer every question that you have. So if you have any questions, shoot them my way. I'd love to answer them. But today is uh today is one of those tough questions, and and uh it's a question that I think the world asks all the time. And that question is why does bad things happen to good people? Why do bad things happen? How can a good God allow bad things to happen uh to good people? So maybe you've asked this after losing someone you love, maybe you've asked this, you know, sitting in a hospital room with someone you care about, maybe you've asked this after a diagnosis, uh, divorce, uh betrayal, a tragedy, or a prayer that goes unanswered by God. And if we're honest, this isn't just a theological question, it's a personal one. Because sooner or later, suffering will knock at every one of our doors eventually. So, what do we do with this question? So, why do bad things happen to good people? Let's talk about it today. Today I've got six points for you. Then, as always, uh, I try to answer, give you some practical things that you can uh uh apply to your life. Point number one, we need to address a common assumption. Before we get into everything, the first thing we need to do is address a common assumption. So the question itself assumes something that the Bible challenges, it assumes that we are good people and that suffering is somehow unfair and that we don't deserve it. Now, hear me clearly. When people ask this question, generally they're talking about innocent suffering. They're talking about good neighbors, loving parents, faithful Christians, or even children who experience tragedy. And from a human perspective, we we totally understand what they mean. So hear me, I'm not being condescending to you at all today. But the scripture reminds us that ultimately none of us stand before God on the basis of our goodness. Romans 3 23 says, For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. The reality is that we live in a broken world because sin has entered into the world through Adam and Eve. Disease exists because of sin. Death exists because of sin. Broken relationships exist because of sin. Natural disasters, violence, suffering, and pain are all symptoms of the fallen creation that we live in. The question isn't really why do bad things happen to good people? The deeper question is why are any of us experienced moments of grace uh in a broken world at all? Really, the question is why are we even worthy to experience moments of grace by God? Why are we even the better question to ask is why are we even worthy to experience grace from a loving God? That's really the question that needs to be asked. So the second is is not all suffering is punishment. Not all suffering that we face is punishment. One of the oldest explanations people give for suffering is this you must have done something wrong. That's why you're experiencing this. Uh, if you've ever suffered, chances are someone who is so loving, caring, compassionate has suggested this to you. Maybe not directly, but indirectly. They say things like, if you'd had more faith, if you'd been more obedient, if you prayed hard enough, or if you weren't in sin. But let me tell you today, the Bible rejects this simple explanation. In John 9, Jesus counters a man who's been blind from birth. The disciples ask Jesus, who sinned? This man's parent, or was uh or was he born blind? In other words, somebody had to be responsible. That's why this was this this guy was blind. Somebody had to do something to deserve it. But Jesus simply answers in John 9 3, it says, It was not that this man has sin or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus completely dismantles the assumption that suffering is always connected to personal wrongdoing. Sometimes suffering is not punishment. Sometimes suffering becomes the stage on which God's glory is revealed in our life. That doesn't mean that suffering is good. It doesn't mean that suffering is easy. It means God is able to bring good from it. God is able to bring good in all of the suffering that we face. The third point: the book of Job shows us that we don't always get answers for why we are suffering. If there's anyone in scripture who asked this question, it was Job. The Bible describes him as a blameless and upright man. Yet in a short period of time, he lost his wealth, his children, and his health. His friends spent most of the book trying to convince him that it must have been because he did something wrong. But the reader knows that there's nothing wrong. Job wasn't suffering because of hidden sin. He was suffering because there was a bigger story unfolding that we could not see. And here's that's what stands out for me. At the end of the book, God never explains everything. God never sits Job down and says, here's why this happened. Instead, God reminds Job that he is God and Job is not. And if we're honest, we don't really like when God tells that to us. That may sound unsatisfactory at first, but it's actually comforting because it reminds us that God is working from a perspective we don't possess. There are things that we can simply just cannot see. There are purposes we may never fully understand on this side of eternity, but faith isn't having all the answers. Faith is trusting the one who does. That's the key. Faith in God isn't having all the answers, it's trusting the one that does. So when you experience suffering, don't try to have all the answers. Go to the one that has all the answers for you. The fourth point is God can use suffering to shape us. God can use suffering to shape us. Now let's be careful here. I'm not saying that even tragedy is set by God. I'm not saying that God delights in pain. Uh, but I am saying that God can redeem our pain. Romans 5, 3 through 5 says, not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame. Because God, God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. James 2 or James 1, 2 through 3 says, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. We don't really like that verse. Um, the Bible tells us that when we face trials, count it joy. Count it joy. I tell my church that listen, if if you're going through hard times, it's because the devil's scared in you. The devil leaves people alone that he's not scared of because he wants them to be comfortable, he wants them to be ineffective. Uh, and a lot of times we we see it as God's punishment, but really it's the devil fighting as hard as he can to keep us from accomplishing what God has called us to do. But have you ever noticed that the strongest believers are often those who have walked through the deepest valleys? They don't just know verses about God's faithfulness, they experienced it. They've seen God carry them, uh carry them when they couldn't carry themselves. Some things can only be learned in the valleys. We all want the testimony, but few want us that want to go through the test that leads to the testimony. But we often, but often the test is what produces the testimony within us. We all want the testimony, but we all don't want to go through the test that get us there. The fifth point we follow a savior who suffered. We follow a savior who suffered. This is where Christianity stands apart. The Christian answers to suffering is not merely philosophical, it's personal. God didn't remain distant from our pain, he stepped into it. Jesus was betrayed, rejected, mocked, beaten, and crucified. He experienced injustice on the highest level. The only true innocent person who ever lived suffered the most of all. First Peter says that Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in his steps. When you're hurting, you're not talking to a God who doesn't understand suffering. You're talking to a savior who has the scars, a savior who understands grief, a savior who knows the pain that you're going through, and a savior who has conquered death. So, point number six, the final point for today before we get into the practical. Suffering is never the end of the story. Suffering is never the end of the story. One of my favorite truths in scripture is found in Romans 8:18, for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is revealed to us. The Bible never minimizes suffering, but it constantly puts suffering into the context of eternity. For the believer, pain is real, grief is real, loss is real, but none of those things is the final word. Jesus does. One day there will be no more death, no more cancer, no more funerals, no more tears, no more suffering. The resurrection reminds us that God specializes in bringing life out of places that look hopeless. Friday looked like the defeat, but Sunday revealed that Jesus had won the victory. And that's often how God works. You know, guys, I'm I'm going through a time right now in my life where my beloved grandmother passed away, and she's the last remaining grandparent that I have. Um, you know, and it and it's very hard because I love my grandmother. And uh, but what makes it easier is I know that my grandmother loved the Lord. What makes it easier is that I know my grandmother was experiencing experiencing pain. Uh, and you know, many people would say, well, why she lived a faithful life? Why would God allow her to experience that? Well, unfortunately, sin breaks our body down. Sin breaks our body down, and eventually these bodies will fail us. But you know what? I know that the moment she left this earth, she was walking the streets of gold with God and never hurt again. And here's the great thing. I know because I have a relationship with Jesus that one day I'm going to see her again. And even though Wednesday, a week from today, which I probably won't have an episode next week because of that, Wednesday, uh, when we go to her funeral, it's not, it's not sad. We're celebrating that she's one day going to be with Jesus. So the practical, what do we do when we suffer? So practically in our lives, you know, Pastor, how do so how do I withstand suffering? Let me give you three practical responses. Number one, when you face suffering, run to God, not away from him. A lot of times what I see with people is is when suffering happens, they run away from God. They run away from the church, they run away from the very thing uh that sustained them. Pain often tempts us to withdraw from God. Do the opposite. Bring your questions, bring him your fears, bring him your frustration. God is not intimidated by your honesty. Listen, God is not someone that you have to treat with kid gloves. God loves you, God cares about you, and listen, he can understand, he can deal with you getting upset, he can deal with you being frustrated with him. Two, let your pain grow compassion. Let your pain grow compassion. One reason God comforts us is so we can comfort others. The wounds you've walked through often become the ministry God uses most powerfully. Your suffering may become someone else's source of hope. You know, maybe God has had you go through this test so that you can minister more effectively on this earth to people that are maybe experiencing some of the pain that you have. You know, you may have experienced some pain that nobody else in this world has ever experienced. And maybe God is just setting you up to do some powerful work for the Lord. Number three, hold on to eternity. This world is not the end of the story. This has become more prevalent to me this week than any other time. Keep your eyes fixed on God. Keep your hope anchored in God's promise. And remember that even when you don't understand what God's doing, you can trust who God is. No matter what suffering we face on this earth, if you have a relationship with God, you will receive your returnal reward. So, where does this leave us today? So, why do good bad things happen to good people? The honest answer is that scripture doesn't give us a simple explanation. Sometimes suffering is the result of living in a fallen world. Sometimes it becomes the tool that God uses to grow us. Sometimes it positions us to help others. Sometimes we simply don't know why. But here's what we don't: God is good, God is present, and God is working. And because of Jesus, suffering has never been the final word. If you're walking through a difficult season today, I want you to remember this. You may not know the reason for your suffering, but you can know the God who walks you through it. You may not know the reason for your suffering, but you can know the God that will walk you through it. And sometimes his presence is the answer we've been needing all along. So thanks for joining me today on Ask a Pastor. You know, I know this is a difficult topic, but I think it's a topic that many of us ask all the time. Uh, and I want to end with this big idea is that we may not always know the reason for suffering, but we can trust the God who walks us through it. So I just want you to know today that if you're walking through suffering, maybe you found this episode long after I recorded it and you're walking through suffering today. I just want you to know that God loves you, God's here, God is present, and God cares for you. You will you do not have to walk through this alone. You need to draw near to God. You need to draw near to a church family that can love on you. You know, one of the greatest um gifts that God has given us is a church family. One of the greatest gifts that God has given us is a Bible-believing church that can invest in us. And so if you don't have a place to go, we'd love to have you here at Hope Church. We've got two locations currently, about to open up a third. We announced that this week. Uh, we've got our our location here in Cleveland, which I'm the pastor of. Uh, we've got services at 9:30 and 11. We've got a location in uh Meridian uh at 10:30, and we've got we we announced the location coming soon. Uh this Sunday, we've got a location coming to Alvareto, Texas. Uh so we've got three locations of Hope Church coming your way. And and our our hope is and our mission is to love God and to love people. Because if we love God and we love people, that is what God has called us to do. Uh, and so if you don't have a church, we would love to have you a part of it, or find a church that's near to you. Uh, but thanks for joining me today on Ask a Pastor. I really appreciate all your encouragement. Uh, I hope that this finds you good today. But we love you. Uh, and just know that God uh loves you and wants to answer all the questions that you have. So thanks for joining me today, and we'll see you next time on Ask a Pastor.