I’ve often heard people ask, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” If I’m honest, I’ve even asked that question about my own personal life before. It’s one of the most gut-wrenching, emotionally charged questions we can face, especially when we turn on the news or scroll through social media and are confronted with stories of innocent lives lost, brutal attacks, families torn apart, or senseless tragedies that shake us to the core. The pain is real. The grief is overwhelming. And the question lingers:
If God is good and loving, why would He allow such suffering? The short answer? He doesn’t…at least not in the way many think.
Let’s unpack that.
The Bible tells us that God is:
- All-powerful – “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17
- All-knowing – “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” – Psalm 147:5
- Ever-present – “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” – Psalm 139:7
So if God truly is all of these things (and He is), then surely He has the ability to stop evil and prevent suffering, right? Yes. But here’s the deeper truth: God gave us something that comes with a heavy responsibility—free will.
Let’s Consider this thought for a moment:
Imagine you’re a teenager falling in love for the first time. You meet someone you really like. You enjoy their company. You hope they feel the same. When they choose to be with you, it’s meaningful. Not because they were forced, but because they wanted to. Would you want someone to love you because they had no other choice, or would you want to be chosen freely, willingly?
GOD IS NO DIFFERENT!
From the very beginning, God desired a relationship with us. Not robotic obedience, but genuine love and worship that flows from the heart.
“We love because He first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19
In giving us free will, God gave us the ability to choose between right and wrong, between love and rebellion, between obedience and sin. This gift of choice is both beautiful and dangerous. Likewise, think about the love of a parent for their child. When we have children, we don’t have them hoping they will disobey us, cause us grief, or break our hearts. We pour into them, teach them, protect them, and desire nothing more than to have a deep and lasting relationship with them. We long for their love, their respect, and their trust. This is not because we demand it, but because we’ve earned it through our love and sacrifice.
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.” – Psalm 103:13
God is the ultimate parent. He loves us more deeply than we can ever imagine. He loves us so much so that He gave up His only Son so that we might live.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16
Just as we grieve when our children make poor decisions, God grieves when we choose sin. But He never gives up on us. He works patiently to draw us back to Himself.
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise… He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” – 2 Peter 3:9
The love of a parent is a glimpse into the heart of God. He doesn’t force us to love Him, just like we can’t force our children to love us. But when they do, when they come willingly, the relationship is deep, real, and powerful.
So, what does this have to do with evil and discord in this world? Let’s continue.
Back in the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had a choice:
Obey God and live in perfect harmony, or disobey and experience the consequences of sin. They chose to disobey.
“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” – Genesis 2:17
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye… she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband… and he ate it.” – Genesis 3:6
That one decision introduced sin into the world and with it, pain, suffering, violence, death, and separation from God.
“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned…” – Romans 5:12
God didn’t create evil. He created beings with the capacity to choose. And because humanity chose sin, the world we now live in is broken.
So, where is God in our pain?
He’s right here with us.
God is not distant. He is not passive. He doesn’t delight in our pain. In fact, He stepped into it through Jesus Christ, who suffered the ultimate injustice.
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” – Isaiah 53:3
God understands suffering. He lived it. And through Christ, He provided a way for ultimate healing, redemption, and eternal life. A life where sin, pain, and death will one day be no more.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…” – Revelation 21:4
Let’s put this all together now so we can answer our question, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?”.
Simply, because we live in a fallen world, where sin has distorted the beauty of what God originally intended. But God, in His love, made a way to restore what was lost through Jesus. And in the midst of all the chaos, He still offers us a choice. To love Him. To follow Him. To trust Him.
God never promised a life free of hardship, but He did promise to be with us through it. If you are struggling with this question today, know that God sees you. He hears your cries. And He is not indifferent to your pain.
So let me encourage you today: choose God.
The struggles we face in this life, though real and often overwhelming, are only temporary. In the grand scope of eternity, they are but a fleeting moment. But what God has prepared for those who love Him is beyond anything we can imagine: a life free from pain, sorrow, and tears.
“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17
He has promised us eternal joy, and He is patiently, lovingly inviting us to receive it.
He is calling: gently, persistently, and with a heart full of love. Will you answer?
“Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
If you’re struggling with this question today, know that God sees you. He hears your cries. And He is not indifferent to your pain.
He gave us free will because He desires a true relationship, not forced obedience. But He also gave us hope; hope that even in suffering, He is still good, still present, and still working all things together for good for those who love Him (Romans 8:28)
