Here’s Why

I saw another one today; a blog post asking why bad things happen to good people.

How about, because we live in a world where bad things happen - to all people.

The people who ask this type of question NEVER seem to ask the next question. Why did bad things happen to Jesus, the only “good” and perfectly innocent person to ever walk the face of the earth?

Whatever we may say about how and why God has allowed His creation to wallow in the effects of sin, the fact remains that God took His own medicine. This is an important point for us to contemplate. Why would God come to earth to specifically experience the horrors that this life has to offer?

There are many possibilities for why Jesus came to experience life as we experience life, but one conclusion must surely be to show us that life’s problems are not without reason. For example, “Jesus learned obedience through what He suffered.”

The fact is, “God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.” Ephesians 1:11.

When that verse says “everything” it means that nothing happens without it coming under the umbrella of our Creator’s sovereign plan. I don’t know what that means for those on the outside, but for those of us who love God and who have been called according to His purpose, it means that ALL things are used by God so that we who are saved might be conformed to the likeness of His Son.” Romans 8:28,29.

THAT is God’s will for us and if we join Him in making that our sole goal, our one intent, our main objective in life, then anything and everything that happens to us can be turned for spiritual and emotional profit.

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:2-4.

We in Christian circles often hear about “The Fruit of the Spirit” Galatians 5:22-23, or the characteristics of love as they are found in 1st Corinthians chapter 13:4 - 8a. I would go so far as to claim that these characteristics never come about in the absence of pain, loss and suffering. Because of God, our difficulties possess meaning and context and purpose.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles 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.” James 1:2

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is nothing in life that we should fear more than succeeding in those areas that carry no heavenly importance. That requires a significant shift in priorities.

“How can it be of any benefit to gain the whole world yet lose one’s soul?”

After making this paradigm shift, Paul said, “But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider all of them complete loss for Christ's sake. Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly. For my determined purpose is that I may perceive and recognize and understand the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death, in the hope that if possible I may attain to the spiritual and moral resurrection that lifts me out from among the dead even while in the body. Philippians 3:7-11.

This means that if we allow Him control of our lives, our Creator will allow us to personally know His power, His suffering, His destiny.

Become like Jesus.
Make His life your life.

Do that and nothing that this life can throw at you can destroy your stability.

“Those who wait upon the Lord are like Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance.”

Do that and you will move from having faith in Jesus to having the faith of Jesus.