Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People Essay, Research Paper

WHY DO BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE? Many people wonder why bad things happen to good people and the answer is quite simple. God wants to teach his servants one of his many lessons. In most cases, people tend not to learn any lessons if all they get is the good. On the other hand, if they experience some of the bad, on tends to learn an important life lesson. Most people learn from their mistakes and not from their fortunes. So the answer to the question is that God allows bad things to happen to the good for the purpose of experimenting. From one s own experience, they can appreciate both good and bad, and at the same time, strengthen their inner self. God experiments with his servants because he wants to teach them a lesson that they can use for the rest of their life. Just like God experimented with Job, God tests all his servants. If one is not in a test right now, it is because they are about to receive one or they have just finished coming out of one. Some things that God expects us to see as his servants are seen clearly in God s test. That was the purpose of God putting Job through a test. He wanted Job to realize and expound on his beliefs and ideas of the God he served. Job realized that, the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding (Job 28:28). Furthermore, God taught Job that He is God and He will do as he pleases. In conclusion, God uses his tests as instruments to teach his servants one of his many lessons. Secondly, God tests his servants in order for them to appreciate the good as well as the bad. Without suffering or even striving to win a race, how can one appreciate the victory? Most would take the reward for granted. However, if they tried their very best and endured all the pain that came along with the reward, they are more likely to appreciate it more in the end. In Job s case, he was awarded many riches both material and immaterial. Job had done nothing to receive his gifts, yet God gave them to him anyway. When all his blessings were taken away, he still appreciates God s mercy on him. He reasons that, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (1:21). After the test is finished, Job appreciates both the previous struggles and his future full of blessings from God.

Most importantly, God tests people to strengthen their faith and soul. If one wants to make their muscles stronger, they have to exercise. When they do not exercise, the muscles tend to get weaker. How can people grow stronger in faith if God does not test them? Job had faith in God before his riches were taken away. During his test, he used his faith in his beliefs to carry him through the rough time he was experiencing. At Job s weakest point, he was tempted by his wife and his friends to give up on God. His faith grew even stronger when he defended himself to his friends. After the test, all the lessons God taught him could be used for the rest of his life. To sum it up, our strengths are made perfect in our weakness. God has a unique way of doing his work. He does not just expect his servants to learn about him from reading, but also through their own experiences. That is the best possible way to learn. God also expects them to mess up along the way. Furthermore, he expects us to learn from our mishaps. The lessons one learns from God s test will allow them to appreciate all of the blessings and the sufferings in life. At the same time, the weak servant will become stronger on both the inside and out.