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Don’t feel the pressure to have all the answers, it’s okay to say “I don’t know, let me get back to you on that.” Also, be sure to empathize with their question. A great way to lead into a convo like this could be by saying something like… “That’s such a good question, I’ve wrestled with that one as well.”
Don’t answer their questions immediately. Sounds backwards right? It’s a little bit of hyperbole, but the point is, ask them what they think about it before you give an answer. Force them to wrestle with it themselves before spoon feeding them an answer. This will help them flex spiritual muscles and help them learn to think critically for themselves.
Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?
This is probably the most common Biblical question from kids and students of all ages. The short answer would be, “I don’t know why this bad thing happened, but I know Jesus didn’t cause it, and he wants to turn it into something good.” We generally ask this question unintentionally as a way of blaming God for the pain in our lives. Our thought process is, “If God is good, why does bad stuff still happen?” That is misplaced blame. Here are four keys to help understand the answer to this question with your kids and students….
1) There is no such thing as good people…
Romans 3:23. 1 John 1:8. Are two easy examples of passages that are clear… Even the best humans are messed up. There are no “good” people. You aren’t even a good person. There was only one “good” person ever, and some pretty bad things happened to Him (Talking about Jesus just to be clear). So the question “Why do bad things happen to good people?” is flawed from the start. The only real way to ask this question would be, “Why did bad things happen to Jesus?” The answer to that question turns the mirror around pretty quickly.
2) Bad things happen to everyone…
John 16:33. The book of Job. Suffering doesn’t pick favorites! Even though you might only see good things on their Instagram, their hurt and pain isn’t absent. Sometimes our sin directly causes the hurt and pain in our lives. Other times the suffering comes, not because of our sin directly, but because of the totality of sin in the world. Sin has been reeking havoc on our world for centuries. Sin causes diseases, violence, greed, etc. Your sin might not have caused those things, but we all get hit with the aftershocks from time to time.
3) Jesus didn’t cause the bad, but he’s working to redeem it…
Romans 8:28. Genesis 50:20. Sin is the problem, but Jesus came to solve it. Jesus didn’t cause the bad, but you better believe he wants to use the bad for good. Whether in this life or the next, Jesus is working to turn the pain into something good. He’s looking to bring beauty from ashes, life from death, joy from sorrow.
4) The real question is, “Why do good things happen at all?”
If sin is the cause of everything bad, and we all have sin, the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” is simply a flawed question. The question should be, “Why isn’t everything bad?” or better yet, “Why do good things happen to anyone?” The answer to both of those is simply….. JESUS! It’s because of his grace and mercy that we have any joy, peace, hope, life, family, shelter, food, etc. (James 1:17.) Notice the word EVERY in that passage. ALL the good things in your life come from God.