Penalties

51/365

These last few years, it seems like the amount of suffering among humanity has risen exponentially. The dangerous tsunamis, the tragedy in Haiti and the earthquake in Chili are just a few examples of the natural destruction fallen upon civilization. Closer to home, the people we love are succumbing to disease, leaving for combat, losing their jobs or simply losing their faith. Everywhere we look something is happening. A home is lost. A marriage is over. A spirit is broken.

Times such as this beg the question: Where is God? If I have heard it once, I have heard it a thousand times: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

As common as this question is, and as natural as it may seem to be, I have to wonder what kind of unawareness prompts it. Do those who question our suffering understand the place of humanity in God’s Kingdom?

Romans 3: 10,12
"There is no one righteous, not even one… All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."

It is a scary thought, getting what we deserve. God says that not a single one of us meets His standards. We all fail. We all fall short. We all deserve the penalty.

However, He also says we are justified freely through His grace. He says that we are redeemed thru Jesus Christ. He says that we are His. We are blessed. We are forgiven. We are…saved.

How do we make our Savior feel when we doubt His goodness? When our lives become a struggle, or we hear of someone else’s life becoming a struggle, our first reaction is to blame God. We fail to see that the minute we begin to feel worthy of His goodness, we are in big trouble.

Instead of asking why God allows bad things to happen to good people, should we not ask why God allows good things to happen to bad people?