Bad Things Happen To Good People
You don’t have to look far to see that our world has fallen short from its original creation.
Reference: Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60 NIV)
Explore: A friend of mine is super healthy – she exercises and watches her diet fastidiously – and yet, she finds herself going in for surgery.
A fellow minister I know is so wise and faithful to the church, and yet, he finds himself with no pastoral position.
My cousin prays continually for their children, however, their teenager decided to go off the rails.
A school mate would make an awesome daddy, and yet, he and his partner are barren.
You don’t have to look far to see that our world has fallen short from its original creation. It is not fair or even and injustice is a daily occurrence.
Application: You can easily look at the world and ask, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” It would not be unusual to think that God does not intervene when we think He should.
But as I read through the scriptures I see that there are many times throughout history when injustice has occurred. The stoning of Stephen is one such case.
Stephen was a devout believer, dedicating his life to the cause of Christ and putting his own life on the line to speak the truth of Jesus. And yet, he was stoned for speaking up and defending the Messiah’s place in God’s plan.
Although his dedication has gone down in history, I don’t believe it was a part of God’s plan. It was due to human jealousy and pride that people picked up those stones and killed Stephen.
The beauty of Christ is that when our broken world trips us up, He is there to help us get through. He brings light to our dark situations and shines it towards a hopeful future.
If you are going through a time of trial, it does not mean that God hates you or has forgotten you. It means that you live, with all of us, in a fallen world, that can only be given purpose through God’s continual love and grace.
Prayer: Lord, it hurts to go through times of grief, pain and injustice. Thank You that You give us a hope for a brighter future and may we strive to bring Your love and grace here in our fallen world. Amen.
When have you experienced injustice?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.