Got Question? 5-14-18
Hey guys! Welcome to "Got Questions," the Spiritual Life Article for this year. I am Hudson Roseboom, your NSA Spiritual Life Leader. In this article I will answer any of your questions about the Bible, God, or the Christian faith.
Why does God allow bad things to happen to "good" people[edit | edit source]
This question stems from the question of last month. Last month, I answered the question of why bad things happen to good people. This month, I want to discuss the flip-side of that question. Why do good things happen to bad people?
In our world today, it seems like the most blessed people are ungodly non-Christians. Why is this so? Didn't Jesus come so that we could "have life and have it to the full" (John 10:10)? In order to answer this question, I would like to point you to Psalm 73. In this psalm, Asaph has the exact same question.
"2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked"
Asaph was one of the leaders of the temple choir and obviously, he was not a wealthy man. He experienced some of the hardship and injustice that many question today. Asaph had dedicated his life to serving God and fell into jealousy when he saw the "prosperity of the wicked." How often do we fall into the same trap? The answer to our problem is in the rest of the psalm. Asaph felt envy until he realized one important thing. Psalm 73:16-20:
"16 When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply 17 till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny. 18 Surely you place them on slippery ground; you cast them down to ruin. 19 How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; when you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies."
Those who have temporary riches on earth are in reality spiritual beggars because they do not have true riches—eternal life.
There are many times when we don't understand what God is doing and why certain things happen to us, but this is normal. We are limited humans who will never be able to fully understand God's plan. When Asaph entered the house of God, he realized that there was nothing to be envious of in the riches of the wicked. He rejoiced in the riches God had in store for him. We may not have everything we want here on earth, but one day we will prosper for all eternity through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have a narrow road before us that will be difficult, but we have the hope of eternal life.
This is why Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3).
Sources: https://www.gotquestions.org/good-things-bad-people.html
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Have a great month!
Your friend in Christ,
Hudson Roseboom, SLL