Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Pastor Jim Verkest, Mosinee UMC

This question is so often on the lips of those who have experienced a tragic circumstance in their life. Perhaps it is a sudden death caused by a heart attack, stroke, or accident. Sometimes its a younger person succumbing to cancer or other fatal disease. Almost always there is a sense that what has happened is not only tragic, it makes no sense in relationship to the goodness of the person. Its as if tragic death for someone who is not as good would be alright but not for the one who has done nothing to deserve this tragic end.
Therein lies the great confusion. For we must understand that life is not about what we believe we deserve, its not about how good we think we are, its about how we choose to love and honor God with our life and if necessary with our death.
Because we so often, in this culture, want to connect our behavior with its outcomes, we cannot understand why bad things happen to good people. We dont understand that we live in a world that is broken and distorted by the sinful disobedience of humanity. Because we (all humans) sin and fall short of the glory of God, the consequences are brokenness, lostness, and for many, despair. This results in many people developing a fatalistic life philosophy.
How often do you hear people say, When your times up, its up. People are left feeling that they have no control over life or what happens to them. Worse, it leads to a belief that my behavior doesnt really matter, what ...