Dahlia St. Church Of Christ RMC Archive June 2003

WHY ALL THE BAD STUFF?

Tornados, flash floods, death and destruction! What's going on in our nation? The central and midwestern states have had more than their share of natural disasters this season. With thousands of homes and business damaged or destroyed and dozens dead, what are we to make of the devastation?

Some would be tempted to believe that those states must be the most evil in the nation. After all, can't we see who is good and who is bad by what happens to them? Some might decide that experience teaches all we need to know about what to believe. Some simply look at the what happens in the world and then decide for themselves how to interpret the "evidence."

Nothing could be further from the truth. Bad things do happen to good people. Faithful Christians can, indeed, suffer persecution as well as natural calamities of earth, wind and fire. But we tend toward two dangerous extremes. Some people suffer discipline from God for wrongdoing and yet refuse to admit their sin and repent. They claim a parallel with Job but turn their circumstance into a sort of "Job syndrome" - "It's nothing I did. It's all just coincidence!" They continue in sin and suffer but claim innocence.

The other extreme sees any and every negative event as a result of sin. "That guy must be a really bad sinner, just look at all the struggles he is having in life."

Jesus warns us not to evaluate our righteousness by comparing our daily life to the misfortunes of others. We should never say, "I must be pretty good. No tornado hit my house this month!" Remember Jesus' words in Luke 13:4, 5? Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.

Jesus is teaching us that no matter what happens to others, we cannot always discern if they are more evil than the average person (or myself!). Likewise, Jesus is showing us with actual, practical example of the need of all people to repent.

It's time that we stop trying to figure out the world (and ourselves) merely by evaluating circumstances surrounding us. We must get back to the Book for answers to "... everything pertaining to life and godliness" (II Peter 1:3).

If we simply try to evaluate circumstances, we will most likely fall into one of the extremes given above. For those with a propensity to blame themselves, they will begin to see every difficulty as a discipline from God. When out of balance, this approach to understanding life creates more paranoia than true answers. Those with a propensity to blame others for negative events in their lives, will fail to see the times when God truly does bring discipline for sinful behavior... discipline to help us mature... discipline to bring about repentance... discipline that we may learn obedience and respect for God that we may share His holiness (Hebrews 12:1-13).

In the book of Malachi, we see the people questioning everything from God's love and integrity to his reasons for action. Whenever we are confused about the workings of daily life... whenever we try to decide or theology through human discernment of natural disasters, we err greatly.

The goal with our children, of course, is to disciple them into an educated, balanced and godly view of the daily victories and defeats of life. Luke 13:1-6 will go far to help them understand that such is not a proper path to decisively discern doctrines. So, why do bad things happen to good people?

This is life, it is not heaven (Luke 13:1-6).
People can and often do use the free will that God gave them to hurt others.
Some people insist on building and rebuilding in areas prone to earthquakes, floods, tornados, etc. If you pitch your tent on top of the Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park, don't blame God when you get burned by the eruption! Whether the frequency of the problem is hourly (geysers) or every other decade (earthquates), building in problem-prone areas merely exacerbates the effects of natural disasters!
Problems come when we fail to follow the will of God (and we suffer appropriate sorrows (II Thessalonians 1:6-9;)
Sorrows come when we have, indeed, broken the will of God and are suffering for our bad behavior (Hebrews 12:1-13).
Ungodly people attack when humble, righteous Christians live faithfully.

Practical suggestions:

Teach the kids that we cannot always know if a certain event is random or a result of our bad behavior.
Teach the kids to expect negative results from ungodly actions.
Teach the kids to expect joy to follow obedience, no matter what practical problems life throws at them (Philippians 3:10-11).
Be prepared to respond to the disasters of life with faith in God and His comfort (Psalm 119:76; Eph. 6:22; I Thessalonians 4:18).
Model to the kids a parent who seeks His kingdom and His righteousness and allows the other things to be added by God (Matthew 6:33). Remember that the goal is to be balanced in our understanding. First, accept the discipline of the Lord when you have sinned. Secondly, never be deceived by Satan into believing that God does bad stuff! Thirdly, remember that this is earth and not heaven. Trust God and lean on His understanding. Stay in the book.

-Ray Wallace

Further study: The questions and answers of Malachi; Proverbs 10:24; I Peter 3:11-17; 4:12-16; II Timothy 3:10-15; James 1:12-18; Proverbs 3:5,6.

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