Why do bad things happen to good people?

• Genesis 1:1 -- “1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
  

At this moment, everything is perfect, and through the course of Creation, the Bible continues to tell us that it was good. God continues to create, and He finally hits the high point, creating man in His own image. 
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• Genesis 1:27 -- “27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” ,
• Genesis 2:18 -- “18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”” ,
• Genesis 2:25 -- “25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

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Through this creation, and everything being good, Adam and Eve were able to stand before God and before each other naked and unashamed. But just like that, one decision sets the world on a chaotic path, heading towards destruction. 
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• Genesis 3:1-7 -- “1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.”

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From this point, pain, sweat, toil, ache, and death enter into the world. But there is something interesting in this passage:
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• Genesis 3:1 -- “1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?””

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So the question arises here, why did God do this? Why do bad thing happen to good people? Why did God allow evil to enter into the world? 
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Before answering the question, I want to make sure we understand the heart behind the question, in case you are ever asked this question. ‌People usually ask this predominately in association with a devastating event. It comes in connection with the recipient being someone that we feel didn’t deserve what happened to them. We see that in the very fabric of the question, why do “bad” things happen to “good” people?
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We see "bad" as being whatever happened to them that we didn't feel that they deserved (abuse, neglect, death, disease, trauma, etc). We call them "good" because we see them as someone who is nice, kind, caring, compassionate, and maybe even innocent.

The reality is, whenever faced with this question, there is probably not an answer at the moment that would bring relief. Even if God gave you the why behind what is happening, would it really make any difference?
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If God said that the reason you lost a loved one, you went through that trauma, you were abused, you were neglected, whatever happened to you, was because some time down the road it would work out for good, would that make it any better? Maybe, but I’m doubting it actually would. So we have to realize that there is a time to just be present if asked this question, and that there is no answer that will help, but rather we give them someone to hear them out, to just be there for them. 
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But, there is still the question that is asked and people wonder why bad things happen. The simple answer, that is yet complex, is because sin is present in this world. 

• Genesis 3:16-19 -- “16 To the woman he said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” 17 And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; 18 thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.””
  

The result of sin is that bad things happen. From that moment in time, the earth has been trending toward destruction, awaiting that time to come.

• Romans 8:22 -- “22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”
  

Paul tells us that there is suffering in this life, but he also tells us that it isn't worth comparing to the eternal glory that is to be revealed, and that is what the earth groans for.

• Romans 8:18-22 -- “18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.”

Not only does creation long for this time, but we ourselves long for it to happen to. 

• Rom 8:23-24 -- “23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?”
  

As a result of sin in the world, we live in a broken world, in which nature itself heads towards destruction. This is why there are tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, floods, and earthquakes. 
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Not only do we live in a broken world, we live among broken people, who make bad decisions that sometimes harm other people. Not only are other people broken, we ourselves are broken as well. This is something we need to realize, there are no “good” people in the world, we’re ALL sinners.

• Mark 10:17-18 -- “17 And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.”
• Romans 3:10-18 -- “10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.””
  

The question may pop in your head, why doesn't God just wipe out all the evil in the world? That day is coming, but think about it a bit deeper. ‌If God wiped out all the evil in the world, that would include US as well. To wipe out evil would be to send people to hell, so if He wiped us out, we go hell, But God in His mercy and grace hasn’t done so, that more may come to repentance and find salvation in Jesus. Because in that, God is glorified, and that’s His goal.

• Isaiah 43:7 -- “7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.””

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Here's my view on this, in order for God to be glorified, He has to be chosen. ​A robot cannot bring glory because there is not choice, it is forced to do what it is told. In the same way, love creates a choice, and God gave us the choice to choose Him. In order for there to be a choice though, there have to be two things to choose between. Therefore, we are allowed to choose between God and the world, which is sin. And that's the answer to the question, we choose sin, and our choices have consequences. 

But we can find hope beyond the bad things that happen, because God has given us hope.
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Hope that God can use bad things for good results

• ‌Genesis 50:20 -- “20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”
• Romans 8:28 -- “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

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Hope that God’s always good, faithful, praiseworthy

• ‌Job 13:15 -- “15 Though he slay me, I will hope in him; yet I will argue my ways to his face.”
• 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 -- “8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

‌When we have an eternal perspective, it draws our focus to the God who is above, in which we find peace that no matter what we go through, He’s with us

• Hebrews 13:5 -- “5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”” ​
  

Hope that through struggles, it strengthens our ministry‌

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 -- “3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.”
  

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The events of our lives build our testimony, in which we are then able to help those who go through what we have.

Hope in knowing that Jesus knows what we go through‌

• Hebrews 4:15 -- “15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
• 1 Peter 2:20-23 -- “20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”
  

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We don’t have a God who is far off, but one who in Jesus knows what we are going through, and sends help

Hope that we are not alone

• Romans 8:26-27 -- “26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

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Hope that this earth is not our home, we have an eternal dwelling

• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 -- “16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”  
• John 14:1-3 -- “1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
• Revelation 22:20 -- “20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

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Jesus has gone to prepare our eternal dwelling,

• Revelation 21:1-4 -- “1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.””
  

Jesus will return to take us home, and there is ONE way to get there

• John 14:4-6 -- “4 And you know the way to where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  

The reality of the answer to the question is this: There was only one good person, Jesus Christ, and the worst suffering ever happened to Him, so that through that bad thing, we might experience the greatest thing, eternal life

• John 3:16 -- “16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” ,
• 1 Peter 2:24 -- “24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” ,
• Romans 8:31-39 -- “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

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