Bad Stuff Happens
One of the most challenging things to overcome when confronting those who object to faith in God is their misunderstanding concerning their concept of a loving God allowing bad stuff to happen. I call it a “misunderstanding” and refer to it as “their concept,” not because those things are not real, but because those things are not reasons to reject faith in God. When one gains insight into God’s purposes behind allowing bad stuff, adequately understood, it can bolster faith in Him.
Yes, bad stuff happens. At the same time, God is good and loving. “But,” the skeptic says, “how can a good and loving God allow bad stuff?” Human logic would say, “Either God is not loving, or He is not good, but He can’t be both if He allows bad stuff.” And the longer God allows us to live, with each year that goes by, the more examples of awful stuff such people can point to as corroboration for their logic. So, ironically, those who live according to this logic end up putting more faith in humans, the first of whom got us into this mess in the first place—whose sin nature they share—and whose god will never be good or loving.
So, could God, allowing bad stuff to happen, actually bolster faith in Him? There’s a hint in the previous paragraph. Humanity is responsible for the mess we’re in, not God. Suffering, evil, terrorism, disease, death, disaster, pain, calamity can all be traced back to the Garden and the fall of humankind, the first sin. But, our good and loving God, through Christ, rather than simply rejecting us forever, entered into our pain, suffering, and death, our human experience, all the bad stuff, on our behalf, so that we for all eternity, there is no more bad stuff.
The skeptic might not be satisfied with that. “I think a loving God would wipe out evil now. Why wait until ‘eternity’?” They might say, “Maybe He’s not powerful enough to do it?” Well, his love and power are both shown in the fact that He sent His Son to die for our sins and raised Him from the dead. Until He one day wipes out all the bad stuff, that love and power extend to all who put their faith in Christ. To end it now wouldn’t be the loving thing to do for all those yet to be saved.
God loved humankind enough that He didn’t make us like animals, who don’t—and can’t—make moral choices. Despite His power, He doesn’t force us always to do good or vaporize people when they do bad. We live in a broken world. Jesus promises that even as believers, we should expect to suffer. As long Christ tarries, bad stuff will be a reality. We are no longer in the Garden, and we are not in Heaven yet.
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (the “Wheat and the Weeds”). The farmer allows the weeds to grow up among the wheat because pulling the weeds would destroy it. It is not until the harvest that the weeds are pulled and put where they belong—bundled up and burned. One application is that God allows evil to exist for now, but the judgment is coming.
In the meantime, Christ reminds us that God is indeed loving and good, no matter what happens. A time is coming when “there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). Because He is loving and good, He’ll take away all the bad stuff. Meanwhile, our loving good God postpones the best of the good things, so as many as possible learn what a good and loving God He is. Now, you have some good reasons to help people understand that they’re misunderstanding God if they’re objecting to faith because bad stuff happens.
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
—1 Peter 4:12–13