If God is Good, Why Isn't Life Fair?
Where is God and why doesn't He care?
With all that’s currently happening in the world, many people are asking, “Why?”. Maybe you're trying to see God in the midst of this pandemic and the havoc it’s causing. People are losing their income, loved ones, and peace of mind. Where is God in all of this?
I asked myself the same question in the darkest seasons of my life. I don’t have any fear of this virus. It’s not that I don’t think it’s serious because it is. I’m not fearful or worried because my peace comes from Christ. I’ve learned to trust through the darkness, uncertainty, and pain. I’ve hit rock bottom and found that He’s enough. I’ve been unemployed and seen His provision through random checks in the mail. I’ve even gone to the doctor and felt the fear that comes from hearing, “There’s a lump…”. Through it all, I’ve experienced His faithfulness, and I know that He hasn’t changed.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2 Timothy 2:13
No One is Exempt
All of us deal with unfair circumstances. Unfortunately, that’s a part of life in this broken, sin-filled world. When I was 14 my dad passed away unexpectedly. It turned my entire world upside down. My dad had been sick most of my life. He had a heart attack and quadruple bypass when I was six, a stroke when I was 12, and another heart attack the night he died. I found his body at our home as I was going to tell him goodnight. I never even got the chance to say goodbye.
My dad had other health issues too, but you would have never known that if you met him. He knew his limitations, but he never made excuses. He enjoyed every day He had, loved God, and loved people well.
I could resent God for allowing that to happen to me but I don’t. My dad could’ve been bitter and blamed God for that being his lot in life, but he didn’t. No, we both knew that our circumstances were not an indication of God’s goodness. He is good despite whatever we may face.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
I’ve seen God bring immense beauty from ashes. Every ounce of my being believes Romans 8:28 is true because I’ve lived it. I’ve learned that just because a situation isn’t good doesn’t mean God can’t bring good from it. The “good” is what He does despite the odds; how He redeems us and does what is impossible for us to do on our own. God’s word does not promise that our life will be trouble-free if we follow Him. On the contrary, Jesus tells us that we will have trouble, but he doesn’t stop there. He also gives us a promise that we can be encouraged because He has overcome the world and its troubles.
What God's Good Really Looks Like
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Romans 8:28 promises that God will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. As a follower of Christ, the key to experiencing that is not limiting God to your idea of “good”.
You’ll only see God in a situation when you’re looking for Him. If you believe that good equals a perfect, trouble-free life then you’ll miss it. Jesus didn’t even have that! He was hated, betrayed, and mocked for doing the will of God. He didn’t deserve any of it, but He endured for our sake. Our salvation and reconciliation with God was the good that would come from His pain.
In life, you have two options. You can be bitter that this is your lot OR you can ask God to help you, heal you, and show you how He’s working all this for your good and His glory. It won’t always be easy to do but understand this: Life is going to be hard and unfair with or without God. Without Him, you’ll never be able to know true peace, that doesn’t need to numb itself of relying on addictions to get by, or have hope and faith that cannot be shaken no matter what happens.
God Gives Beauty for Ashes
God’s ways are not our ways. I won’t pretend to know the depth of the things you’re facing or the pain you’re feeling. The beauty of our faith is that despite what we go through we can have peace that passes all understanding, comfort for our broken heart, and complete healing. We can live free from our past, bitterness, and pain and experience abundant life in Christ. God is bigger than ANYTHING we face. If you want to see God’s goodness then you have to surrender and follow. Surrender what happened to you and let God work in you. God moves in our life through faith, surrender, and obedience.
It wasn’t good that my dad passed away, but you’re reading this blog because of it. During my season of grief, writing was the only way I could express myself. I couldn’t bring myself to voice my pain so I wrote. One day, God told me to take my writing public and share my story. Now, I have the privilege of helping others find healing and hope in their darkest times - and God gets the glory. That’s just one piece of my story. I’m a living testimony that hopelessness, depression, and pain don’t have to be your whole story. No matter what you’ve gone through, God can redeem it. He has so much more in store for you than the things you’ve been through.