Why do troubles happen?

1. Sometimes we reap the results of dumb decisions. Doing trick stunts, falling in love with bad characters, racing in dangerous sports, driving and drinking or doing drugs are a few examples of decisions that we should only make with great caution. Don’t blame God when expected problems arise. Remember to put brain in gear before making decisions! Asking for God’s guidance and studying scripture also are good ideas to make wise decisions. Then listen hard for God’s still small voice. Do not act unless you have complete peace about the decision. All can ask God for and receive grace for bad decisions made when in Christ when they judge themself as guilty and intend to do better. However, God’s grace does not mean man’s forgiveness follows for broken laws. There is an earthly price to be paid. Remember that God always gives good gifts, but will sometimes remove His hedge of protection around nations and people who allow satan to kill, steal and destroy through them. Give credit where credit is due. However, even adversity can work to our good if we have the right attitude and continue to seek God. Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. The following are a few reasons why Satan is allowed to bring havoc and pain to people and nations:

2. Necessary correction is sometimes needed when people purposely ignore or rebel against God’s will. Just as children need encouragement (both positive love and negative pain) to learn right actions, so do adults. We are learning out entire life how to seek God’s will and work toward it. When someone has a lot of bad things happen to them, others often assume incorrectly that surely the person must have done wrong to bring on these things. Job’s “friends” assumed that he was to blame for his calamities. In a way, he was, but not for purposed rebellion. Job’s faith in God needed help. 119 Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared has come upon me, and that which I was afraid of has come to me. Of course, the loss of a loved one is seems difficult to justify from our viewpoint. Our only solace comes from viewing their passing from God’s viewpoint. If they gain heaven they will be happier there and can look forward to other family joining them in a brief time. Children are thought to all receive grace unless they have passed the age of accountability into adulthood without accepting God’s grace and Christ’s lordship. If they are not bound for heaven, due to rejecting Jesus Christ’s offer of grace, their final condition is justified. All will have an opportunity to make a decision for Christ. Jesus proved that when He preached in Hell after His death on the cross. He allowed all who had died before to accept Him then. Now, who would reject that deal? 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, indeed being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the Spirit; 1Pe 3:19 in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 1Pe 3:20 to disobeying ones, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared (in which a few, that is, eight souls were saved through water); 1Pe 4:6 For to this end the gospel was preached also to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the Spirit. God ultimately restored all Job had lost 10 times over, plus Job found that He had come through a terrible time and God was found faithful to again bless him. No longer would Job see Gods gifts to be a source of worry, and he would never doubt that God could bring him through any trial. Job’s pain was really sent for the next reason given below.

3. Pain can be a drawing motivation. God draws us to Christ and His will through positive love or negative pain. Both are powerful encouragements. We easily desire the positive inducements of God’s love, but can also be moved by negative results bringing pain. Fear causes us to question if we are in the will of God. When we continue to seek God and His will, pain can lead or refine our path to a closer relationship with God. Just because a parent disciplines a child does not mean that they do not love the child. Quite the contrary, proper discipline ultimately leads to a better attitude and life for the child. God sees us as children with free will that need to learn to make good decisions in order that we may be blessed. Accentuating and accepting self judgement and self correction is always preferable to having to be disciplined by painful circumstances.

4. Some pain may be the best answer to our own prayers. If we ask for patience, intellectual or spiritual growth often struggle is required. More is learned from valley experiences than from mountain-top views. Learning requires effort. Unfortunately, pain often is a path for more strongly reinforced learning than is pleasure. We tend to want to rest in pleasures without growing further in grace and seeking God’s will. Many temporary pleasures lead people to seek worldly things that should be avoided. Greed, lust and desires for power always lead to incorrect actions against the will of God. On the other hand, pain meted out in love is always used for refining to bring out the best qualities for those seeking God.

5. Problems can be a path to ministry. When God desires to prepare a person for his ministry, pain may be involved. We gain knowledge and empathy for others going through life’s similar tribulations when we have personal experience. Overcomers can find purpose in their trials and testing by helping others overcome or avoid what they or other loved ones 120 have endured. Wise learners can find wisdom by seeing God or satan act in the lives of others and act to avoid wrong lessons.

6. Problems can produce positive results when faith in God is involved. The early deciples of Christ were severely persecuted. However, God used the attacks to spread the gospel to distant parts of the earth when the early church sought relief through escape. Much like wind-blown embers of a fire, the early church ignited other fires of faith where-ever they went. God won again!

7. To those who are going through difficult heart rending times God would tell you that He loves you and has not forgotten you. It is His desire that you would know His love through compassionate sympathetic friends who offer their support and encouragement. This is His encouragement to all in Christ. Rom 12:15 Rejoice with rejoicing ones, and weep with weeping ones; Rom 12:16 minding the same thing toward one another, not minding high things, but yielding to the lowly. Do not be wise within yourselves. God is also a very good listener who would encourage you to pour out your heart to him and ask for help. Who knows, with the right attitude you may get a miracle. At the very least, just talking to a caring God is therapeutic. Mat 7:7 Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. Mat 7:8 For each one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. Mat 21:22 And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive. One caution, God may answer your request in a different way than you expect. Trust, that He knows what is best. Continue asking until god gives you a peace that he has answered. Then continue to say thanks to god and wait patiently. Know that Christ, through the Holy spirit, can give those who have accepted Him peace, even in the midst of the storm. John 14:26 But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. This can be an opportunity for you and those who come to your aid to all become closer and stronger individually, collectively and closer with God. God desires that you rest in Him and give Him your burdens. This will pass, but God is forever. God also suffered for your grace. 10-8-2017

(a work in progress begun about 2001) by lcl

References: New King James Bible, 1980 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Unger’s Bible Dictionary, 1966 by Merrill Unger, Moody Press Acknowledgment:

Thanks be to God who made, saved, heals, guides and blesses me through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Let all obey the will of God the Father.