We often ask this question “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” Isn’t He all powerful and doesn’t He have control over everything? So why does He allow innocent people to suffer, wars to occur, and sickness to prevail? This question has been blown out of proportion that many have declared God Himself to be responsible for all the evil and suffering just because “He won’t do anything about it”. Understanding or misunderstanding this question acts as the dividing factor between awed and loving reverence verses utter abhorrence of Him? Being the mild mannered Christians we are that question usually falls into the “side issues of life” as if it didn’t really matter. However, this very question manages to linger in the back of our minds unanswered, avoided, and obscure. But we will go on to notice it most when we see those “bad things” happening around us. Some of us have “answers” we’ve used to suffice ourselves into believing “Yes, yes I’m sure God has His reasons”… And we move on aimlessly glaring at the constant strain of dismal news around the world whether of war, starvation, kidnaps, murders, rapes, thefts, and brutality, still questioning, still avoiding, still unsatisfied. Let’s look at it this way, the “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” is a fairly good question! Christians shouldn’t consider it a bad question just because it appears to challenge God’s fairness. When prayerfully addressed this very query has the potential to vindicate God’s justice like no other indication can! I wouldn’t blame non-Christians for staring down a Christian for vain answers such as “God has His reasons” or “I will pray that God enlightens you”… let me tell you a secret, that’s not a convincing nor welcoming answer! If that’s all you can give a confused non-believer its times like that where silence would be golden. Sure you can’t convince everyone, but at least put the TRUTH out there, if we won’t stand up for God’s name then who will? God has given us enough evidence to vindicate His name with whole hearted thought-through answers. If you’re a Christian and have brain washed yourself into believing God is love WITHOUT caring to understand this fundamental question which unfolds one of the most outstanding evidences of His divine character then what’s the point of following someone you don’t fully understand? Sure there’s plenty about God that will remain shrouded in mystery, but this is not one of those things. God wants us to understand this area about Him because how can you TRULY love someone if you don’t TRULY understand them? God desires us to comprehend His dealings with the earth because He knows as a result of that will our affections be most sincere. After all, wasn’t the whole point of our creation so that God could have a healthy relationship with us? And doesn’t a healthy relationship depend on mutual understanding? God understands us perfectly, but we have failed to understand His divine providence to the extent which He of course has made known.
Ever since the fall of Lucifer, God has taken it upon Himself to personally suffer for the sake of providing us with “Free Will”. Most of the pain and horrible things which happen in the world today are brought about by our own decisions, note I said “most”. The suffering of “innocent babies” as many non-believers would bring to the table as “the cruelest work of God” is simply the result or the fruit of a sin sick world, careless parents, and non-ideal conditions. Yes it’s not fair for the baby or child to have to suffer or die, but they will have an eternity of health, happiness, and bliss to look forward too. God is not as pitiless as many claim to send a baby to hell that never had a chance to sin, although being born in sin.
The reason for why God continues to allow Satan to exist and cast his deadly curses upon the earth is because if God had destroyed him from the beginning, He would have defeated His entire purpose for Creation. Lucifer declared he would set up a new government with “better” laws and more freedom. Had God destroyed him, then and there, all the other celestial beings and angels in the universe would have doubted if Lucifer “may have had a better plan”. Further, and most importantly, if this had happened then all of creation would have served God out of FEAR and not out LOVE. And that would have torn God’s heart apart! His purpose was to have a REAL relationship with us where true love is reciprocated out of sincere choice, and not because we’re afraid of Him. How would you feel if someone loved you out of fear that if they didn’t you would come and brutally massacre them at night during their sleep? I would get out of that relationship in a dash! So how much worse do you imagine God, who is defined as “Love” in the scriptures, would have felt? So the Lord, in His omnibenevolence chose to allow Satan all the time needed for the unfolding of his malicious plans to the fullest extent of its design so that at the end when He finally does destroy him, all creation will have testified that Satan’s “lawless” government resulted only in sickness, sorrow, pain, and death. And they will declare “God had it right all along”. Therefore, God’s name will be vindicated throughout the cosmos and all will give glory to His remarkable love and righteousness. And with that, the most beautiful characteristic of God is revealed in his willingness to have suffered the most in sending down His beloved Son to atone for sin’s fatal existence and give us a chance in this great controversy between good and evil to come out a redeemed and glorious people.
