I don’t have all the answers to life’s unknown questions, but I asked God this question. Why do bad things happen to good people? This is what He revealed to me:

1. Because evil people exist, and they prey on good people. Evil existed before the beginning of time, and will be around until the end of time. Everything is not God’s fault; a lot of things are the result of our free will, but God is all-knowing. He has a plan for each person on this earth, and allows things to happen according to His will. The evil nature of those around us, affect us, but the outcome is determined by God. He protects those who are good, but it may be worth it to God to sacrifice a good person who He knows is saved, to change the life of a bad person.

Example: a person who commits murder against an innocent person will either feel so convicted that they repent and turn their lives around and become saved, or they will die in murder themselves. God’s purpose for some of us is to teach others a lesson, and help them learn from the error of their ways, even it results in our own death. We may look at this as horrible, and unfair, but God see’s things differently. For Him, life is about testing human faith, and saving human souls. If you’ve been left by a loved one, who was taken away by an evil person, pray for that evil person. In the meantime, God will restore your joy and peace as well as restore your lost loved one with a new body and new dwelling place of peace and utter happiness.

2. People who believe in God are called His children. If you do something wrong and you know better, God may allow you to suffer the consequences of your bad behavior even though you are a good person. He is not punishing you; He is just allowing you to experience free will. It’s like a parent who tells their child to stay away from the stove because it’s hot. The child knows better, but they touch it anyway, and the parent allows the child to touch the stove so they can learn a lesson. They don’t punish the child for doing it, because they know they will suffer enough from the burn, and the child learns a lesson.

3. Our God is a vengeful God and rules from Heaven. There is no telling when He will grow mad with fury, and remove his grace from those who upset Him. He promised never to destroy the world by flood, but He said nothing about destroying whole countries, states, or cities. You have to trust that those who are saved through Christ, and are killed in the midst of being around these evil people during God’s anger, are still protected, and will be restored in the aftermath whether dead or alive.

4. Spiritual tests are given by God to grow our spirits and our faith. A spiritual test is not a bad thing; it’s just a matter of making good decisions or bad decisions. It can be bad though for people who don’t understand what they are going through, and don’t ask God for wisdom and understanding. Since He is administering the test, He is the best person to help you get through it.

Trying to take a spiritual test on your own, without the help of God can feel like hell. If you are faced with a bad situation, and there seems to be no way out, be still and pray. Focus on the goodness of God, and remember all the things He has brought you through. When it’s time, He will reveal to you which direction you should move. God will make a way out of no way. Begin to praise Him in advance of the blessing, because as always this too shall pass.

5. You can just look at the life Christ lived, and understand why bad things happen to good people. God never said that by simply being a good person you would be unaffected by the evils of this earth. He actually warns us of the evils of this earth, and teaches us how to protect ourselves from these evils. It may seem bad now, but the victory is yours if you have accepted God’s covenent.  With God, it’s always all good. Stay prayerful, use wisdom, and praise Him all the days of your life, regardless of your situations.