Why do bad things happen to God's people?

Today I find myself asking an age-old question with a slightly different take on it. I’ve been asked, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” While I understand the question it is built on a faulty premise; that there are people who are ‘good’. Romans 3:12 states “there is none righteous, no not one.” If that’s true the question could rightfully be asked, “Why do bad things happen to bad people?” But for most reading this, the question is phrased still differently; “Why do bad things happen to God’s people?” That’s the rub for those of us who know Christ. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that we are “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people.” So why do bad things happen to God’s people? I think there are a few answers worth considering.

1. Pain makes us focus on what is most important – to put this another way, pain has a way of improving our perspective. While in seminary I had a pretty difficult job where I went into the jail 5 days a week and spoke to offenders of non-violent crimes. Life was hard adjusting to having a 1 year old daughter, being a student, and working full-time. Then out of the blue one day, after a routine doctor appointment, I was told I had a blood disease that “about 90% of the people with this live.” Quickly my perspective switched from I have a tough job working with difficult people to am I going to live to see my little girl grow up.
2. Pain reminds me I need help from outside of myself – as long as I can ‘deal’ with everything that comes my way, why would I need God to help me? The greatest problem any of us face is our lost condition without Christ. This pain brought on by hopelessness and helplessness, we know from the scripture, can only be dealt with through the blood of Jesus Christ. Pain reminds me that there are some things in life that no matter how hard I try, I cannot make them any better; that I need help from someone else.
3. Pain happens so I will learn to trust only in God – this one is really pretty easy to understand. God allows us to go through tough times because it’s only when we have to trust Him do we really learn that we can trust Him.
4. Pain prepares me to help others – nothing is ever wasted with God. The pain we experience today, while God did not cause it, He will use it to His glory. That blood disease I had, God did not cause that; I got sick because I live in a fallen world inside of a fallen body. But God did use it by allowing me to cross paths with others dealing with the same illness and questions I had pondered. God did not cause Jan’s two miscarriages, but He has used them by giving us the opportunity to minister to others who were experiencing the same heartache that we had to work through.

Recently I had back surgery and have a 6-inch scar on my spine to prove it. The recovery was painful; the first few days I was praying ‘come quickly Lord Jesus.’ I didn’t want to have to endure another minute of that pain. Now I am past that and if you were to see my back you’d simply see a scar. But that scar has a story behind it. Friend every scar you have has a story to tell as well; maybe from a surgery, an injury, an accident, or battle. Scars prove two things to you and to those who see them. They prove that you have suffered and they also prove you have survived. So when pain comes and the hurt is excruciating and you don’t feel like going on, know that the God who delivered you in the past, you can trust Him to deliver you again. To live is Christ and to die is gain; we are winners either way!