Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

A recent note from a friend passed my way that read, "Why do evil people always seem to win?" and it got me thinking. Yeah, why? Why do good things happen to bad people and, conversely, why does it seem like bad things happen to good people?

Just this past week we were studying the Book of James in our Wednesday night Bible study, and James was trying to make the point to the first century Jewish Christians that they shouldn't blame God for the temptations that come their way. "God cannot be tempted," James wrote, "And God does not tempt anyone with evil." He then made his case for that argument with the point that every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above, from the Father of lights, and that God doesn't send evil. In the midst of our conversation on those verses, someone stopped me and said, "But that's not true, is it? What about plagues? What about hurricanes? Those aren't good. If everything comes from God, then how can those be good."

We continued on into a discussion of what it means to live in a fallen world, a world that has been corrupted by sin and evil and that seemingly exists with a mind of its own, although God does work in the midst of sin and evil to bring about good. Hence, we can point to God's grace and presence in the midst of September 11th and Hurricane Katrina while not throwing these into the categories of a "gift from God" or, as our insurance companies put it, "An act of God." They are just an artifact of a world gone wrong.

But, theological interpretations aside, what about the simple human observation that people who are not "good," that people who aren't living for God, who aren't trying to do good in their lives, who are just out for themselves, sometimes seem to get it better than the rest of us. And those of us who are trying to do what is right, trying to live out our faith in this uncertain world as best we can and to follow God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength seem to get continually screwed (pardon the expression, but you know exactly what I mean). Hence the comment from my friend, "Why do evil people always seem to win?" Good question.

I spent some time pondering that last night as I wrestled with the experience of a very bad week at work. It was only three days long, but I felt like I had been put through the wringer. Worn out emotionally and physically, I took Friday off just to try to recover and get ready for next week. But why is life so difficult for those of us who are believers? In John 10:10, Jesus said that He had come that we might have life and life to the full. Other translations render this as "abundant life," and we make the case in church that this life starts now and not in some distant future after we die. But where is this abundant life? Why aren't we enjoying it right now?

As I pondered the rightness and wrongness of life, God led me to the part of John 10:10 we don't usually quote -- "The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy." Ok, I understand that, but why do only the believers suffer? And the answer I received was that it was only the believers who were in the battle. And then I understood. I understood why I get tempted the worst after a really good Sunday worship service. I understood why things get so bad at work and at home right before I go to minister in the prison. I understood why I have such problems in my life right before I go to serve at the Walk to Emmaus. I understood why things are so difficult when I do my best and am really trying to walk with God.

It is because I am in the battle. Theodore Roosevelt once wrote, "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."


Why do bad things happen to good people? Because they are in the arena -- they are on the front lines of the battle. Because they are going face-to-face with the enemy, carrying the truth of God and the message of hope and life to a people held captive. Because they are the ones who are pressing against the Gates of Hell and who are suffering the constant attacks from the evil one who is trying to destroy them with all his might. These are the ones that Roosevelt talks about whose countenances are "marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strive valiantly" and who constantly get back up when they are knocked down to stand again against their foe. Of course Christians suffer. Of course persecution and trials and hardships come our way. Not only because we live in a fallen world, but because we are going toe-to-toe with an enemy who will do anything to discourage us and to discredit us and to bring us down. Bad things happen to good people simply because they are good.

And, conversely, good things sometimes happen to bad people. Sure, they face the same hurricanes and natural disasters as we all do because it's part of living in a fallen world. But, they don't face what the Christians do. They are not in the battle. They are not engaged. They pass by on the sidelines without a care in the world. They are not a party to the conflict, and, thus, are not of interest to the enemy. Why waste his time on those who are not fighting, on those who are content with just walking through this world seeking to serve self above anything or Anyone else? They stroll through the battlefield, seemingly unaware of the raging war, as all around them they are surrounded by those who are actually engaged in the battle.

This reminds me of the movie, "The Matrix." In the movie, the character Neo is told that everything that he knows, his whole life, is nothing but a manufactured mirage. It is not real, it has been created so that Neo will walk through life unaware of the real battle that is occurring around him. So, Morpheus offers Neo a choice. He can take one of two pills, a blue pill that lets him stay the way he is, returning to his old life and living in the same old way with the same old things. Or, he can take the red pill, which will destroy the power of the mirage and open his eyes to the reality of life around him, putting him in the midst of the battle being waged for his very soul. What does he do? If he takes the red pill, he will leave all the old behind and nothing will ever be the same again, but he will be putting himself into harm's way and bad things will happen.

That is the choice that we all have to make at some time in our lives, but rather than red and blue pills, we have to choose to accept and follow Christ or to walk in our world oblivious to the spiritual reality around us. It those who take the red pill, who accept and follow Christ, that find themselves in the battle and who sometimes ask, in the light of a particularly grueling campaign, "Why does it seem like the evil people always win?" The truth is that they don't. It just seems like it right now because the battle is still being waged, but in the end, they will get their due and we will enjoy the victor's rewards.

The message from God is to persevere, to endure to the end, and to know that He will see us through. As Paul wrote in Ephesians, "Stand firm" The battle may still be occurring, but the war has been won. The victory was secured with the shout, "It is finished," and with the triumph of an empty tomb. We have won the day, and despite the momentary hardships that life and Satan throw our way, we have prevailed and we will overcome.