Question

Why?

Answer 1

And those two tragic events are on top of the everyday pain and suffering being experienced in individual lives – maybe including yours. There’s illness, abuse, broken relationships, betrayal, sorrow, injuries, disappointment, heartache, crime and death. And perhaps you’ve been asking the question, “Why? Why me? Why now?”

Answer 2

That “why” question goes back thousands of years. It was asked in the Old Testament by Job and the writers of the Psalms, and it was especially relevant during the 20th century, where we witnessed two World Wars, the Holocaust, genocides in the Soviet Union and China, devastating famines in Africa, the killing fields of Cambodia, the emergence of AIDS, the genocide in Rwanda and the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. And the 21st Century didn’t start any better. There was 9/11 and now the Syrian slaughters, and on and on. Why all of this if there’s a loving and powerful God? Why do bad things happen to good people?

Answer 3

But if you’ve never asked why our world is infected with pain and suffering, you will when they strike you with full force or they come to a loved one. And Jesus said they are coming. Unlike some other religious leaders who wrote off pain and suffering as just being illusions, Jesus was honest. He told us the truth. He said in John 16:33, “You will have suffering in this world.” He didn’t say you might – he said it is going to happen.

Answer 4

I cannot stand in the shoes of God and give a complete answer to that question. I don’t have God’s mind. I don’t see with God’s eyes. First Corinthians 13:12 says, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

Answer 5

But for us, let’s focus on the big, overarching issue of why God generally allows suffering in our lives – your life and mine. Friends, this is important: even though we can’t understand everything about it, we can understand some things. Let me give you an analogy.

Answer 6

Once Leslie and I were driving from Chicago to Door County, Wisconsin, which is that thumb-shaped peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. We were driving up the highway in the dark, when it started raining heavily and we hit dense fog. I could barely see the white stripe on the edge of the road. I couldn’t stop because I was afraid someone might come along and rear-end us. It was frightening!

But then a truck appeared in front of us and we could clearly see his taillights through the fog. He apparently had fog lamps in front, because he was traveling at a confident and deliberate pace, and I knew if we could just follow those taillights, we’d be headed in the right direction.

And the same is true in understanding why there is tragedy and suffering in our lives and in our world. We may not be able to make out all the peripheral details of why — they may be obscured from our view — but there are some key Biblical truths that can illuminate some points of light for us. And if we follow those lights, they will lead us in the right direction, toward some conclusions that I believe can help satisfy our hearts and souls.

What are those points of light? Let me go through five of them that I’ve personally found helpful whenever I’ve been prompted to ask the question, “Why?” The first point of light: God is not the creator of evil and suffering.

This answers the question you hear so often: “Why didn’t God merely create a world where tragedy and suffering didn’t exist?” The answer is: He did! Genesis 1:31 says: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

But if God is not the author of tragedy or evil or death, where did they come from? Well, God has existed from eternity past as the Father, Son and Spirit, together in a relationship of perfect love. So love is the highest value in the universe. And when God decided to create human beings, he wanted us to experience love. But to give us the ability to love, God had to give us free will to decide whether to love or not to love. Why? Because love always involves a choice.

If we were programmed to say, “I love you,” it wouldn’t really be love. When my daughter was little, she had a doll with a string in the back, and when you pulled it the doll said, “I love you.” Did that doll love my daughter? Of course not. It was programmed to say those words. To really experience love, that doll would need to have been able to choose to love or not to love. Again – real love always involves a choice.

So in order for us to experience love, God bestowed on us free will. But unfortunately, we humans have abused our free will by rejecting God and walking away from Him. And that has resulted in the introduction of two kinds of evil into the world: moral evil and natural evil.

Moral evil is the immorality and pain and suffering and tragedy that come because we choose to be selfish, arrogant, uncaring, hateful and abusive. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

So much of the world’s suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine and wonder where God is, but the world produces enough food for each person to have 3,000 calories a day. It’s our own irresponsibility and self-centeredness that prevents people from getting fed.

In other words: look at your hand. You can choose to use that hand to hold a gun and shoot someone, or you can use it to feed hungry people. It’s your choice. But it’s unfair to shoot someone and then blame God for the existence of evil and suffering. Like that old cartoon said: “We have seen the enemy, and he is us.”

The second kind of evil is called natural evil. These are things like wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes that cause suffering for people. But these, too, are the indirect result of sin being allowed into the world. As one author explained: “When we humans told God to shove off, He partially honored our request. Nature began to revolt. The earth was cursed. Genetic breakdown and disease began. Pain and death became part of the human experience.”

The Bible says it’s because of sin that nature was corrupted and “thorns and thistles” entered the world. Romans 8:22 says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” In other words, nature longs for redemption to come and for things to be set right. That’s the source of disorder and chaos.

Let’s make this crystal clear once more: God did not create evil and suffering. Now, it’s true that he did create the potential for evil to enter the world, because that was the only way to create the potential for genuine goodness and love. But it was human beings, in our free will, who brought that potential evil into reality.

Some people ask, “Couldn’t God have foreseen all of this?” And no doubt he did. But look at it this way: many of you are parents. Even before you had children, couldn’t you foresee that there was the very real possibility they may suffer disappointment or pain or heartache in life, or that they might even hurt you and walk away from you? Of course — but you still had kids. Why? Because you knew there was also the potential for tremendous joy and deep love and great meaning.

Now, the analogy is far from perfect, but think about God. He undoubtedly knew we’d rebel against Him, but He also knew many people would choose to follow Him and have a relationship with Him and spend eternity in heaven with Him — and it was all worth it for that, even though it would cost His own Son great pain and suffering to achieve their redemption.

So, first, it helps me to remember, as I ponder the mystery of pain and evil, that God did not create them. The second point of light is this: Though suffering isn’t good, God can use it to accomplish good.

Answer 7

@LichKing

Answer 8

angelica died for my own good??????

Answer 9

God lets people die at an early age because it is His will to allow them to die. Whatever occurs does so by God's permission. Ephesians 1:11 says that God " . . . works all things after the counsel of His will." This does not mean that God has caused people to die at early ages. But it is His will to allow people to die early just as it is His will to allow people to sin.

God does not want people to sin, but He lets them do it. God does not want people to rebel against Him, but He allows it. Why? Because it is His will to permit people to rebel against Him. If He stopped everyone from rebelling, there would be no freedom of choice, no freedom of will. But because we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26), we have certain responsibilities, and one of those responsibilities is to face the consequences of our choices. We would not be able to face the consequences of our choices if God never let us do things that were contrary to what He wanted in His "perfect" will. So, God allows people to rebel against Him, and it is His will to do so.

Answer 10

angelica died for my own good??????

Answer 11

God aloud it to happen... I don't know how to type.. anyways... God did this because he could be testing you too...He did it with me.. He let stuff drag me down to my knees.. Satan did it but God aloud it to happen.. I know you don't believe in God but...God aloud Satan to temp Job. He took EVERYTHING he had..Still Job didn't curse God. Satan was furious. Anyways..God let me even deny there was a God. Trust me I was so angry.. I said IF THERE WAS A GOD THEN WHY OH WHY DID HE LET THIS HAPPEN... Just Remember that God loves you so much.. You are his lost child.. I came back to God after I realized I wasn't allowing God to be in my life...He didn't have full control. God was testing me to see who I really wanted to follow...

Answer 12

@LichKing @just_one_last_goodbye

Answer 13

People say God is mean cause he made everything happen. For Example the disciple that betrayed Jesus and gave him to be killed, that was just a glimnce of the future. something that had to happen, not that Jesus forced him to do it or wanted him to do it. Pfft Jesus doesn't want anyone to be lost he wants everyone to be saved, but unfortunately thats everyones decision in their life.

Answer 14

*shrugs* whatever

Answer 15

if god was testing me by letting angelica die...than that is insane

Answer 16

God gave you a smart brain..^.^ Now all you have to do is make a choice.. noooo you not getting it...

Answer 17

@Linchking maybe it was just her time :/ take her to heaven before she would apart from his ways... and loose her salvation

Answer 18

she was raped and murdered...you think it was her time??

Answer 19

Dude.. My sister in Christ was raped and murdered.. Her father never loved her.. Mother gave her away.. She had to live on her own for a while.. Then she got killed...But she stayed strong because she had God on her side...

Answer 20

There God put her out of her misery! It was for her own good...I have no Idea if I spelled that right...

Answer 21

she stayed strong because she had the will to stay strong...give the credit to her for that not to god

Answer 22

@LichKing ._. please calm down bruh... and listen to what I gotta say ok?

Answer 23

Oh.. But God gave her that strong will.. Trust me I have a strong will too.. but I will NOT take credit..

Answer 24

do you think that your ex was the only girl? :/

Answer 25

um?

Answer 26

welll...i loved her man..to the core...how will i feeel if she was snatched away from me?/

Answer 27

My neighbor Taylor.. he lost both his parents... He was only 19 at the time..He stayed with God.. His sister sorta fallen..She isn't doing to well.. but she doesn't have a strong source to help her.. She also doesn't want God..

Answer 28

we thought of settling down...marrying and make some kids...we had everything planned out

Answer 29

Do you honestly know how many female children and women in the middle east get raped and killed daily just for being Christian. God wants to strike the bastards dead the moment they get the thought in their heads, but the bible has to be completed before his coming. The bible says in the Gospel of Mathew chapter 5: 10 "Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Answer 30

God has a different plan for you Bruh ^.^ Just trust him.. He knows what he is doing..

Answer 31

i am sorry qwert...i had enough..i am making my own path

Answer 32

Might seem crazy at the time but later on in life.. You might be able to see..

Answer 33

i aint following path given by him....

Answer 34

*sighs* Fine..leave me.. but Let me tell you something.. I will be praying for you.. i know you don't want to hear that but.. I will.. ;-; *cries* C yah..

Answer 35

id lost my love already...dont want anythingelse to happen

Answer 36

I understand...sorta..

Answer 37

The book of Job teaches us about important lessons that we must learn. Here are a few key things that the book of Job teaches us that we should always keep in mind:
1. We participate in a spiritual conflict. Satan will do everything in his power to make us fall. God wins the victory when we are faithful and submissive to his will.
2. God controls everything, even in the middle of disasters.
3. God has purposes for our lives that we sometimes dont understand.
4. The problem of suffering is not resolved by putting our view in the tribulations.
5. The problem of suffering is resolved when we put our view in God.
6. In the end, the faithful will triumph.
@Qwertty123 @LichKing

Answer 38

wow.. Never really looked at it that way... *speechless*

Answer 39

:)

Answer 40

Yes @Qwertty123