“Why do bad things happen to good people?”

We frequently ask the question “why do bad things happen to good people?” but we rarely ask ourselves, why do WE do bad things to good people?

Our Father in Heaven gave everyone free will so we can choose to love Him. He did not make us robots who blindly worship Him because we’re forced to do so. But that free will also means He gave us the option to do good or do evil. His desire is that we all humbly put others before ourselves and their good before our own, but we often sin and commit unspeakable acts, and then we blame Him for our misfortune. We lack the ability to admit that we, as free people, choose to hurt others. Whether physically or emotionally, we are the ones who cause pain.

Now, we also wonder why bad things happen to good people when we’re personally not the ones causing it. We have to think about this as black and white, i.e., good and evil. If we believe that God exists, then we also know that Satan is real. Because he’s real and because he’s evil, there will always be evil in the world because we choose to give in to him instead of fighting our human nature and turning away from sin. Everything is a choice. If someone decides to kill an innocent man, we blame God for not protecting the man instead of acknowledging that the person who committed the act chose to be evil. If God always stood in the way of satan, the earth would be a perfect place, and there’d be no need for Heaven or promise of paradise in His Kingdom.

We must hold ourselves accountable for our actions. God gave us free will so we choose how to live our lives. Every single day, we decide if we’re going to follow the teachings of Christ or abandon the Truth until it’s more convenient. That’s what it’s all about- convenience. We make decisions that suit our mood and emotions, be it anger, pain, revenge, etc.

Why not hold the evil-doer accountable before we blame God? Why not hold the devil accountable before we blame God? Why not hold each other accountable before we blame God?

And if you’re thinking, what about sickness or poverty or misfortune? Remember, this is not a perfect world. We will suffer, and we will experience pain. But suffering in this world, for however many years, is minuscule compared to never-ending joy with our Father in Heaven. That’s the ultimate goal. This life is fleeting and short.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” – ??Romans? ?8:18?