Why does God Allow Bad to Happen?

Philippians 3:7-20 (Click on reference to read text)

One of the most common arguments against Christ is, "how could a loving God allow such bad things to happen to good people?" I have heard this argument countless times. Maybe you have thought this question to yourself regarding your own personal circumstances. When bad things happen, often times we begin to question God's total sovereignty, we wonder if maybe somehow Satan got the victory in that circumstance. But what if we were able to step back and listen? What might Christ be trying to tell us?

Paul understood trying times, (read 2 Cor 11:24-27 if you want a taste of what he went through) yet through it all, he writes to the Philippians, "I count all things loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" (vs.8). Through his sufferings, his goal was to gain Christ, to know HIM (vs. 10). He did not seek Christ's blessings, his hand working on behalf of his circumstances, not even his will and direction for the future, but Christ as a person... just who He is! Can you say this? Can you say that in your trials you are seeking the "righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that you may KNOW HIM and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings?" (vs.9-10).

However, instead of responding like Paul we often begin to question if Satan won. If somehow he bested God and won. Let me tell you, the only way that Satan can get victory in your life if you are a Child of God and washed in the blood of the Lamb, is if YOU LET HIM! As soon as we give in to how we feel and become bitter or angry at God, it is at that moment that Satan wins. It is Satan's goal to steal, to kill and to destroy the saints of God (John 10:10). It grieves the Holy Spirit when we harbor bitterness in our hearts (Eph 4:30-32) and God commands that we do not allow a root of bitterness to spring up in our life (Heb 12:15), because a bitter and broken spirit just takes the life out of you (Prov 17:22). God desires us to have life and life to the full! Beware of becoming like Job's wife, who said to Job, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"(Job 2:9). Hold on to your integrity, hold on to God, because I promise He is still holding on to you!

So why? If Satan did not get the victory, and God is truly sovereign over the details of my life, why? I believe if nothing else, than for this one simple truth: if bad things never happened, we would never long for Heaven. We would never focus on the eternal, we would never long for the presence of our Heavenly Father who gave everything for us. Just imagine if all was well, everything was wonderful and you lived a life of no fear, no worry, no hardship... would you ever long for Jesus and the home He has prepared for you?

If you are like me, you are asking, "well, okay, what now?" Sing a sacrifice of praise (Hebrews 13:15). I know you don't feel like praising God. My heart did not want to praise God when he took my Daddy suddenly home to Heaven this past Christmas Eve, my heart did not want to praise God when I talked to my brother just three months later as he was watching his newborn son lying in the NICU, but we must. God loves us too much to let our hearts love this world. He loves us too much to allow us to spend our lives focusing on things that are temporal and not the eternal. Remember, He gave everything to reunite us to Him!

Let us echo Paul in Philippians 1:21, "to live is Christ." Christ was crucified. Christ sacrificed His life for the purpose and will of the Father. However, Paul goes on to say, "to die is gain"... gaining our eternal reward, with our Eternal Father.