9/12/2017 WhydoesGodletbadthingshappen?

|InstituteinBasicLifePrinciples

WhydoesGodletbadthingshappen?
WhyDoesGodLetBadThingsHappen?
howtoavoidthetrapofbitterness
Haveyoueverwondered,WhydidGodletmesufferthatinjury?losemyjob?haveacar
accident?forgetthatappointment?haveafightwithmyspouse?letmyparentsgetdivorced?
letmebebornwithadefect?

HowcanaGodwholovesmeallowmetoexperiencepainandsuffering?Itjustdoesntseemto
addup.Whenbadthingshappen,wewantanswers.

Thetruthis,youcantknowallthereasonswhyGodletsbadthingshappen.Weliveinaworld
thatismarredbysin,sodifficultiesanddisappointmentsareboundtocrossourpath.
Nevertheless,ifyouaskGodfordiscernment,youcanbegintounderstandwhyHeallowed
somethingtooccur.YoucanalsodiscoverhowGodcanredeemthesituationandbring
benefitstoyourlifeasaresultofsuffering.

ScriptureteachesusthatallthingsworktogetherforgoodtothemthatloveGod,tothemwho
arethecalledaccordingtohispurpose(Romans8:28seealsoJeremiah29:11).Searchingfor
Godsanswersandlearningtoviewbadthingsasgoodthingsindisguisearedisciplinesthat
GodwantsHischildrentodevelopastheymaturespiritually.(SeeICorinthians2:14and
Romans8:117.)

AcceptGodsGrace
UnlessyouacceptGodsgracetodealwithsuffering,inevitablyyouwillbecomebitter.However,
ifyouchoosetotrustGodtobringaboutHispurposesthroughthesuffering,youcan
avoidthetrapofbitternessandgrowinthegraceandknowledgeoftheLord.(SeeIICorinthians
5:7andIIPeter3:18.)

YoucanbeconfidentthatGodwillnotallowanythingtohappentoyouwithoutHispermission,
andHewillnotletanybadthinghappenthatwillnotultimatelybringyoumoregoodthan
destruction.(SeeIPeter4:1213,Romans9:1424,Isaiah55:89,Job1:612,Genesis
50:20,andPsalm121.)

DiscerntheBenefitsofYourSuffering
Asyouseektodiscernthebenefitsofyoursuffering,itisimportanttoasksixgeneralquestions:

1.HowcanthissituationhelpmeunderstandmoreaboutChrist?
Jesussufferedmuch.Hewasdespisedandrejectedofmenamanofsorrows,andacquainted
withgrief(Isaiah53:3).Hewasridiculed,betrayed,beaten,humiliated,abandoned,andfalsely
accused.DoyouthinkJesuswasevertemptedtobebittertowardthosewhocausedHis
suffering?OfcourseHewas.Infact,theBiblesaysHewasinallpointstemptedlikeasweare,
yetwithoutsin(Hebrews4:15).

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Withoutsinhereisthedifferencebetweenmansnaturalresponsesofangerandbitterness
(sin),andJesusChristsresponsesoftrustandperfectobediencetoHisFatherswill.How,then,
canwefacetemptationwithoutsinning?ThenextverseinthatScripturepassagegivesusthe
answer:Letusthereforecomeboldlyuntothethroneofgrace,thatwemayobtainmercy,and
findgracetohelpintimeofneed(Hebrews4:16).

Jesusshowedustherightwaytorespondtosuffering.Inyourhardcircumstanceor
tragedyorheartbreakingdisappointment,youcanlearntorespondasJesusdid.Asyoustudy
GodsWord,bealerttoChristsresponseswhenHesuffered.FollowHisexampleasGodguides
youbyHisHolySpirit,ineachsituationyouencounter.Throughyoursuffering,youcan
understandmoreaboutyourSavior.

2.HowcanGodusethissituationtoproducehumilityinme?
Godhatespride.(SeeProverbs6:1617.)Ontheotherhand,byhumilityandthefearofthe
Lordareriches,andhonor,andlife(Proverbs22:4).Therefore,whenyousufferyoushould
lookforwaystolearnhumility.Hehathshowedthee,Oman,whatisgoodandwhatdoth
theLordrequireofthee,buttodojustly,andtolovemercy,andtowalkhumblywiththy
God?(Micah6:8).

DoyouknowwhyGodletthechildrenofIsraelwanderinthewildernessforfortyyears?The
Bibletellsussomeofthosereasons:ThoushaltrememberallthewaywhichtheLordthyGod
ledtheethesefortyyearsinthewilderness,tohumblethee,andtoprovethee,toknowwhat
wasinthineheart,whetherthouwouldestkeephiscommandments,orno(Deuteronomy8:2,
emphasisadded).

3.WhatcharacterqualitiescanGoddevelopinmethroughthissituation?
YourheavenlyFatherwantsyoutobeconformedtotheimageofhisSon(Romans8:29).As
theLordgivesyougracetorespondtoeachcircumstancelikeJesuswouldrespond,
youwilldevelopGodlycharacter.TheBibletellsusthateventheSonofGodlearned
obediencethroughwhatHesuffered.(SeeHebrews5:8.)

Carefullyreviewthelistofcharacterqualitiesasyouaskyourself,Whichonescouldbe
developedinmylifeasIrespondcorrectlytothiscircumstance?

Forexample:

CouldIlearnpatienceasaresultofthiscircumstance?
Whatcanthissituationteachmeabouttheneedforalertness?
HowcanIlearnobedienceasaresultofthissituation?
CouldthissufferingmotivatemetoexpressgratefulnessforthingsIvepreviouslytakenfor
granted?
CanIdevelopmorecompassionforothersbecauseofthisexperience?

4.IsthissituationGodslovingdisciplinetocorrectme?
HaveyoudisobeyedyourheavenlyFather?BecauseGodlovesyou,Hewillchastenyouasa
Fatherchastensason.(SeeHebrews12:511.)Itisimportanttorememberthatno
chasteningforthepresentseemethtobejoyous,butgrievous:neverthelessafterwardit
yieldeththepeaceablefruitofrighteousness(Hebrews12:11).
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IftheHolySpiritconvictsyouofsin,repent.Ifweconfessoursins,he[God]isfaithful
andjusttoforgiveusoursins,andtocleanseusfromallunrighteousness(IJohn1:9).

5.Isthispreparationforfutureleadership?
ThelifeofJosephprovidesanexcellentexampleofsufferingthatthoroughlypreparedamanto
fulfillhisdestinytobeagreatleader.Forexample,whenJosephservedPotiphar,helearnedto
beamanagerwhenJosephwasbetrayedandabused,helearnedfirsthandthevalueofjustice
andmercy.Bothofthesebenefits,aswellasmanyothers,wereultimatelypartofGodsplansto
prepareJosephforleadership.IsGodallowingyoursufferingtoprepareyouforleadership?

6.Didthishappenbecauseoftheiniquitiesofothers?
Wealsocansufferasaresultofothersiniquities.Forexample,childrenfrequentlymustdeal
withtheconsequencesoftheirparentswickedchoices.Ifyouremployermakesfoolish
decisions,youwillprobablysuffertoo.Ifyourspouseisignorantof,orrejects,Godsdesignfor
marriage,bothofyouwillsuffer.

Scripturegivesusmanyexamplesofsufferingthatcameasaresultofothers
wickedness.Forexample,atonepointintime,Israelexperiencedseverefamineforthree
years.WhenKingDavidfinallyaskedGodwhyHehadletthisfamine(i.e.,thisbadthing)occur,
GodexplainedthatthefaminewastheconsequenceofdecisionsmadebyDavidspredecessor,
Saul.WhenKingDavidbroughtrestitutiontothosewhohadsufferedinjusticeatthehandofKing
Saul,Godendedthefamine.(SeeIISamuel21:114.)

Althoughyoucannotcompletelyavoidsufferingthatcomesasaconsequenceofotherssin,you
canavoidbecomingbitteraboutit.Thatchoiceisyours.

ListofPossibleBenefitsofYourSuffering
Toavoidthetrapofbitterness,compilealistofbenefitsthatGodwantstobringaboutthrough
yoursuffering.Usingthequestionsaboveandthelistofcharacterqualitiesastools,askGodto
showyouwaysthatHewantstoredeemyoursuffering.

Oftenthebenefitsyoudiscernwillmotivateyoutorespondtoyoursufferingwithjoyandpeace
asyoutrustGodtofulfillHispurposeforyourpain.JesusChristHimselfenduredthesufferingof
thecrossforthejoyoftherewardsthatweretocomethroughHisobedienceandsacrifice.(See
Hebrews12:2.)

DiscoverHowGodWantstoBlessOthersThroughYou
Jesuscommandedustoloveoneanother.(SeeJohn15:12,17.)Goddoesntwantmerelyto
blessyouthroughyoursufferinghealsowantstoblessothers.OneofGodsgoalsinallowing
sufferingistogetyourfocusoffofyourselfandencourageyoutorespondtotheneedsofothers.

Godsperspectiveencompassestheworld:ForGodsolovedtheworld,thathegavehisonly
begottenSon,thatwhosoeverbelievethinhimshouldnotperish,buthaveeverlastinglife(John
3:16).Throughyoursuffering,HewantstobroadenyourperspectivetobelikeHis.

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WhenGodallowedJosephtosuffer,HedidntmerelyblessJosephinthelongrun.Heblessed
Josephsfamily,andHeblessednations!AndGodsentme[Joseph]beforeyou[Josephs
family]topreserveyouaposterityintheearth,andtosaveyourlivesbyagreatdeliverance.
Sonowitwasnotyouthatsentmehither,butGod.Godmeantituntogood,tobringtopass,
asitisthisday,tosavemuchpeople[theentirenationsofEgyptandIsrael]alive(Genesis
45:78,50:20).

EmbraceSufferingasaPathtoSpiritualMaturity
LearntolookuntoJesustheauthorandfinisherofourfaithwhoforthejoythatwassetbefore
himenduredthecross(Hebrews12:2).FollowChristsexampleandrecognizethebenefits
thatcancomefromyoursuffering.Asyoudoso,youcanavoidthedefilementofbitterness
(seeHebrews12:1215)andbecomebetterequippedtoserveGodacceptablywith
reverenceandgodlyfear(Hebrews12:28).

TheythatareafterthefleshdomindthethingsofthefleshbuttheythatareaftertheSpirit
thethingsoftheSpirit.Fortobecarnallymindedisdeathbuttobespirituallymindedislifeand
peace(Romans8:56).ByHisSpirit,Godcangiveyoulifeandpeaceineverysituationas
youlooktoHimfortheanswers.

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MaterialaboutwhyGodletsbadthingshappenisfoundinAComprehensiveCourseinEffective
Counseling,BookletFive.

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