It was getting late. The sweat was just pouring off of Cordell. He had started out lifting weights, and now he just finished running. Cordell loved, loved, loved football. He thought about football just about every waking hour. He desperately wanted to get some playing time in the upcoming season, but at 155 pounds soaking wet, he wasn’t exactly the biggest person on the field, plus, he wasn’t very fast, in fact he was painfully slow. He had put in a lot of hours at the gym trying to improve his strength and his speed, but improvement just wasn’t coming fast enough. He had really been praying about it, but it didn’t seem like God was listening. As he sat, exhausted, in the locker room, trying to muster the strength to get up and take a shower, Terry briefly crossed his mind. Terry. Mr. Superstar. Captain of the football team, and the team’s best player. Terry was quick as a cat, could run like the wind, and was strong as an Ox. You would never find Terry working out in the off-season though. All of that talent just came naturally to him. To top it off, football wasn’t even Terry’s best sport. That was basketball. It’s just not fair, Cordell thought to himself. Everything comes so easy for Terry, while he had to work his tail off, and still couldn’t get the coaches to look at him. So why isn’t life fair?
Lost Everything
The fire wiped out everything. Their home was a total loss. They couldn’t salvage anything. They had worked so hard to make a nice home for themselves, and their kids, but now it was all gone. It wasn’t even their fault. The neighbors had a cookout earlier, and carelessly left the coals burning, uncovered and unwatched. One of the cinders flew over, and that was all that it took. Why Us? This was the home they had prayed for, believed God for, and He finally blessed them. Now it was all gone. The neighbor’s home though, was just fine. It just doesn’t seem to be fair.
There Is No Cure
The doctor said there is no cure for this condition. It will continue to get worse, ultimately leading to death. You had done all of the right things. You exercised, ate right, and had physical and dental check-ups on a regular basis. How could this happen to you? You prayed on a regular basis that God would bless you with good health, and now this. Your co-worker, Carl, smoked cigarettes like they were going out of style, was obese, never exercised, and was glad to tell people just how unhealthily he lived, so why was this happening to you, and not him? It’s just not fair!
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?
There are many situations where life just doesn’t seem to be fair. We have all experienced circumstances in our lives where this seems to be the case. Some circumstances are more tragic than others, but seemingly unfair just the same. Many feel that as Christians, bad things should not happen to us. I mean, we’re God’s people, aren’t we? Especially when it seems like so many people, who couldn’t care less about God, get all of the breaks. Why do bad things happen to people? Why do bad things happen to God’s people?
One Way To Look At It
This may sound a little harsh, but I once heard a pastor describe it this way. We’re not good! Bad things do not happen to good people, because we are not good. What does the Bible say? Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Ephesians 2:1-5 says, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-among whom we all one lived in.” Also, 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Finally, Romans 7:8 says, “For I Know that nothing good dwells in me, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.”
Good People?
So Biblically, we are not good people. We are sinners. All of us. Sinners who are saved by God’s grace, through Jesus Christ. That being said, I once heard someone say that we should actually be asking, “Why do good things happen to bad people?,” and not the other way around. Just to answer this question, good things happen to bad people because of God’s grace, and mercy.
Trust God
Ok. Like I said, that’s just one way to look at it. Here is another way to look at it. Trust God. Just because we are people of God does not mean that we are immune from situations that certainly don’t seem fair. It does not mean we’re immune from bad things happening to us. Matthew 5:45 says, “He makes his sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.” So yes. Even for Christians, people of God, there will be things that we go through. There will be struggles that we will have, there will be situations coming against us which may truly be unfair, and then we’ll see others who don’t profess faith in Christ, others, who intentionally do the wrong thing, seemingly breeze through life.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in God. Regardless of how unfair things may seem, regardless of how it may seem like some of the worst people are successful while we may struggle to make ends meet, regardless of how it may seem like we keep getting the short end of the stick, trust in God. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” Even if you don’t understand the why. Still, trust in God. He will direct Your path. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This says it all.
Read Psalm 37
Now, if you wonder about those who do wrong, but never seem to be held accountable, take a look at Psalm 37. Psalm 37: 1-2 says, “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong, for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.” Psalm 37: 12-13 says, “The wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he knows their day is coming.” Then finally, Psalm 37: 20 says, “But the wicked will perish; Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field, they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.”
Just Sayin’
Just to mention, those folks mentioned in the above paragraph are really people who need to know about God’s saving grace. They are people who need prayers for salvation, if they are currently rejecting God’s plan of redemption. Just sayin’.
In Conclusion
Many times life doesn’t seem to be fair, and much of that comes when we try and compare our lives to the lives of other people. Whether our circumstances seem unfair when we compare our lives to others, or if we have actually had a situation where the outcome was unfair to us, remember, trust the Lord. He will lead us down the right path no matter what happens. Just trust the Lord.
Pic Of The Post
The pic of this post is a picture of a scene with a peaceful setting. A hideaway off the beaten path where you can just sit back, and take it in. This reminds me of the peace we can have when we put our trust in the Lord. Regardless of what’s going on in our lives, or in the world, when we put our trust in God, we can have that peace that surpasses all understanding, as it says in Phillipians 4:7. To view the picture, just click on the, “Pic Of The Post” link. Please feel free to leave questions and comments.