Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen?

Our world is far from perfect, especially now in times like these. I’m sure many people, including me, have thought before, “If God loves us, why does He let bad things happen?” But so far in my high school experience, I’ve learned something very important, and I’m about to tell you why.

We’re all human. We’re all imperfect. We’re not God, so God couldn’t have created something more perfect than He already is. If he created a world where nothing bad happens, we would be perfect, which means we wouldn’t need God. In fact, Genesis 1 says that God did create a perfect world. He saw that everything was good. Adam and Eve were still imperfect humans, so they sinned. The same thing would have happened with any other human because no one can be perfect like God.

So when it comes to the question, “Why does God let bad things happen?” Here’s the answer: Like I said above, if He created a world where nothing bad happened, we wouldn’t need God. But that’s the whole point of living, right? God created us to live for Him and to come to Him with out struggles. God does not create the evil, but He lets the evil happen so He can use it for good.

But let’s talk about what those struggles are. When I was in middle school, I was told, “You’re never going to hit rock bottom. What you’re going through is nothing compared to what other people are going through, so you should be thankful for that.” So I began to believe that. I was very self conscious about my looks, about what I said, and what others thought about me, but I just kind of kept quiet and dismissed what was really going on in my heart.

Once I started high school, I learned that a lot of other people feel the same way, so I feel like this needs to be heard. One of the adults in my life that I know well and love, who I consider a mentor, told me something I will never forget. She told me that just because I have a roof over my head and don’t have to worry about my next meal, doesn't mean I’m not struggling with something. That goes for everyone else, too.

Now, I’m not saying our hardships are any worse than those who do live that way. That’s not at all what I’m saying, and that’s not what my mentor was saying either. In fact, there’s a big difference between complaining about something and truly struggling, and we shouldn't be ones to complain. What I’m saying is, we all go through our own things and hardships in life. We all come from different places. What may be rock bottom in life for one person may not be the same rock bottom for another person. So just because you may come from a certain place in the world, does not mean you should dismiss your struggles.

It also doesn’t mean that God pays any less attention to you, which is also something I’ve recently learned. If you ever feel like life is just kind of moving along and there’s not much going on, I get it if it feels like you’re talking to a wall. I’ve been there. But God wants to hear from us about everything! The good, the bad, and the boring. He wants to hear about your sports practice this week or the fun time you had with your friends. Really, anything!

He also wants us to give our problems to Him. He died on the cross for us so we could do that, because He knows we can’t handle those problems ourselves. We’re imperfect, but He still wants to embrace us for the sinful humans we are. That’s a whole different level of love.

Christianity is not just a religion, but it’s also a relationship because God gives us something to hope for: an eternal, perfect life with Him. In order to have that relationship, we have to come to Him during the hard times. Relationships aren’t only about the good things. True relationships are about the loving connections between the good, the bad, and the boring. That’s why God allows bad things to happen; so He can use us to glorify Him and to lead us into deliverance.

To conclude, I have also shared one of my favorite videos with you. It’s not long, and it talks more about the crucifixion than I did, but I think the concept is a great representation of why God lets bad things happen and what He wants our relationships with Him to look like. Click this link to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGOcLFqWtIE

If you have any prayer requests or just want to talk, please do not hesitate to message me. I would love to hear from you and pray for you.

James 1:2-4

—”Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” (NLT).

Romans 5:5-6

— “And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners” (NLT).

Jeremiah 29:11

— “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (NLT).

Isaiah 55:8-9

— “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts” (NLT).

Psalm 103:7-11

— “He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve. For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth” (NLT).