Thinking Out Loud, Volume CCCIV

Pain hurts. Fear is scary. Sickness feels bad. A broken heart is miserable. I know that, because I've experienced all those conditions. So have you. In fact, there have been times when some of us have experienced all of them at once. Here's another statement that practically all of us would agree with: "God has the power to remove any of them at any time, or even stop any of them before they get to us." It's just that He doesn't always do that. Why? There's one question I've heard several times recently, all from different sources, that asks, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Have you ever had that question in your mind, and it made you begin to question God's love, or His power, or maybe even His existence? I remember when President Kennedy was assassinated, although I was a child at the time, and then again after 9-11, I heard people making the statement that there must not be a God if things like that were allowed to happen. I've never questioned God's existence, but I must admit that I've puzzled over how to answer why bad things happen to good people. I may not even be able to give you a satisfactory answer today, but I do think I'm beginning to gain a little more insight on that subject. I've had two different conversations with friends recently that have stirred up my thought process and made me think about this topic from a different perspective.

I will admit that I'm not personally acquainted with everyone who reads this blog, yet I feel that each one of you would be considered a "good person," at least if we're using the word "good" as a relative term. In this sense, "good" doesn't mean "perfect." So just how good does a person have to be to be considered "a good person?" It stands to reason that we all are at a different degree of good, and since none of us are perfect, there must be a little "bad" in all of us. Is that acceptable? Some of you will know the answer to this next question, and some will not: In what context is the term "filthy rags" used in the Bible? It is used in the book of Isaiah to explain what our righteousness looks like when compared to the righteousness of God. All of us are part good and part bad. So does that mean when someone experiences pain in his life he is getting what he deserves? That's not what I'm saying. By the same token, I cannot say that when something really good happens to an individual that he is getting what he deserves. Here's my point: As humans, we have a tendency to accept without question the good that happens to us, but when the bad comes, we want to accuse God of not being fair. When we are going through a tough time, we notice that our neighbor is enjoying the good life, but we never seem to pay attention when the situation is reversed.

Now, let me take it one step further by giving you a personal example. I have a good job, and I'm grateful for it. However, as I look back, I realize that it would not have been possible for me to get this good job if I hadn't lost the mediocre job that I had previously, yet I went through a very difficult period during that transition. I don't believe God causes bad things to happen to us, but He does know how to turn that season of famine into a harvest of blessings like we've never known before. It may be that you had to endure the pain of a broken relationship in order to find that one person who seemed to be created especially for you. Joseph would have never become the number two man in all of Egypt had he not been first sold into slavery by his brothers. I can name friends who have gone through the fire, not knowing if they were going to live or die, yet today they are living life to the fullest and stand as a source of help and strength to others who are going through that same fire. The pain, the fear, the sorrow, and the feelings of rejection are very real as you experience them, even to the point of making life seem almost unbearable, but the good news is, they're temporary.

If you are finding yourself at one of the lowest points of your life, it doesn't mean that you're getting what you deserve...it's just that you're going through a period of change and preparation for something that is much better than you've ever experienced. No one in history ever had to experience the kind of agony that Job faced, yet in the end he had much more than before his trials began. As a runner, I love the downhills, but I would never get to experience them if not for the difficult climbs that precede them.

Preston