Hello friends! I've noticed that in many people's walk with God, alot of people find out that bad things continue to happen to them. And for some people, this can cause confusion, anger, and maybe even feelings of betrayal towards God. You may have asked: "If God loves me, why did this thing happen to me? Why do I still feel pain? Why do I still continue to be hurt by things?" And trust me when I say that I understand your pain. Many times when people first accept Christ into their lives they believe that everything will go away in an instant. Some things take time to be dealt with in their fullness; and many times the reason things take so long is because of God's divine timing for your life. Some things do not make sense until after we go through it, so it's important to trust God in all that He is doing for your life. However, God has been speaking to me on this subject and He has revealed to me 21 different reasons (in no particular order) as to why bad things could be happening in someone's life. These are general reasons that God has told me and every reason may not apply to your specific situation. Please consult God so He can tell you the specific reason as to why some things may be occurring in your life.
1. Free Will
Things tend to go haywire in people's lives because we all have free will. Everyone on earth has free will, and that free will allows people to perform good or bad deeds. If God blocked every bad deed from happening to everyone, then we wouldn't truly have free will.
2. Fallen World
Okay so everyone has free will. But why is the world so evil? The earth is "fallen" in a biblical sense. So that means that evil is allowed to have some influence in our lives while we are here. The world is socialized to covet evil ideals such as power hunger, money hunger, worldly influence (in a way that harms others), and other things. So because the world tells everyone to chase after relationships, money, and power by any means necessary then many people are going to be hurt in the process of people trying to achieve those goals.
3. If It Doesn't Challenge You, Then It Won't Change You
Many people go through tough times because they need to be changed (In a positive way). Growth tends to only happen during trials because a life of ease gives many a lack of reasoning to change their behavior.
4. Experience Gives You Influence
Some people only listen to people who have gone through what they have. So experience in certain trials will give you influence among those who have gone through what you have. You will be better equipped than the next person who wants to help solve an issue because you have personal experience dealing with that particular problem.
5. Preparation For The Next Season
Sometimes we deal with issues now in our lives so that they do not arise in the next season in our lives. For example, someone might be dealing with money problems now while they are of lower-income, so that when they receive more money they will not "fumble the bag" as the kids say lol.
6. Rejected For A Purpose
Some of you all may be dealing with rejection right now. And trust me when I say that I understand your pain. I have personally dealt with the painful sting of rejection many times in my life. And though this experience is painful, acceptance is not always a good thing. For example, I would never want to be accepted by the klu kux klan or the westboro baptist church because to be accepted by them means I hold fast to their values and believe what they believe. There is a reason that many Christians are rejected by the world; and that is because we do not believe or follow the values of the world. We are called to a higher purpose that tells us to love and love ferociously. So when you are rejected for being who you are, it might be a good thing!
7. Separated For A Reason
To those of you who are dealing with separation, separation occurs for a reason! No offense to the people who are regular, but you don't put the special dinner plates in the same cabinet as the paper plates. And the special dinner plates can also hold more food without breaking than paper plates and regular dinner plates. The special plates can even withstand the heat of the oven without breaking apart! So don't be surprised that you are not around everyone else and doing what they are doing. You are separated to perform a higher calling for your life!
8. Experience Gives You The Ability To Endure
Dealing with hard times gives you the strength to endure through difficult times. So if this issue comes up again it's very much "slight work" to you because you have gone through this before. Like for example, I'm playing through one of my old Mario games again to collect the star coins; and because I have played the levels before, it's easier for me to defeat the levels.
9. Consequences of Bad Decisions
Unfortunately, sometimes the reason people go through bad things is because of disobeying God. I honestly don't believe this happens often because God is very merciful, gracious, and forgiving. But sometimes people have to go through bad times to understand that not following God is literally stepping away from a great plan that is working for your good. So when you move away from that, you are actively working against yourself.
10. Testing
The trails you are facing could be a part of a test from God. Are you going to put what you learned previously into practice? Are you going to stand fast in the faith or are you going to run away and fail your test?
11. Humbling
Tough situations can also be great ways to humble ourselves. And this can be in a good way or a bad way. Saul was removed from his King position because he was filled with pride, but Joseph was humbled through slavery and prison before he was appointed to be the second in command of Egypt.
12. Experience Gives New Perspectives
For many people, having gone through something gives us a new perspective into the situation. Like for example, Asexual people see the world from a different angle because they experience Aphobia. Many people doubt it's existence, but because they have personal experience, they can speak to it and call it out.
13. Experience Gets You In The Door
Much like how experience can give you influence, experience can get you in the door at some places. Someone is going to need your experience in high places. When people of influence want to do more for others they call upon people with experience to guide them into making the right decisions.
14. Alot Of People Find Their Purpose Because Of The Pain They Felt (I Did!)
Sometimes going through difficult times helps you to discover your purpose. I found out my purpose through being rejected by my family and peers for being gay. Ever since that day I knew I wanted to work to help fight for the LGBTQIA+ community.
15. Many Experiences Show Us What God Does For Us
Some experiences help us to see what God does for us. When God had told me to forgive all those who had hurt me; I realized that this was not only for my healing, but it showed me what God does for me. That He forgives the big and the small, and because He does then I can do the same.
16. God Trusts Us In These Situations
Sometimes these situations help to show us that God can trust us in these perilous times! These situations show us that God has given us enough strength, peace, and maturity to handle even this!
17. God Is Bigger Than The Situation, And He Can Handle It
These situations also help to show us that God is bigger than anything that we could go through. God knows all about our problems, it didn't catch Him by surprise and He made a way out for us before the issue ever arised. He's got it handled so you can rest easy and trust Him!
18. Sometimes It Takes The Bad Times To Appreciate The Good Times
Sometimes we go through bad times simply so that we are more appreciative and grateful when we experience good times. When you have experienced homelessness, you are more grateful for housing, when you experience rejection you are more grateful for acceptance. Sometimes bad experiences help us to appreciate all that God does for us.
19. Teachable Moment
Almost every time when we go through difficult things it's because God is trying to teach us something. If you are dealing with a situation that you can't understand. Maybe ask God "What are you showing me in this? What are you trying to tell me?" and maybe He will explain to you the answer. But sometimes there are times that He might not respond to that *specific* question because He wants you to just trust Him (been there my friend) but if you aren't in that season, He'll let you know!
20. It Helps To Show Us Who God Is
Going through trials helps us to see God's character. Like for example, if we never got confused when reading the bible, then people would never know that God gives answers and can clarify things for us. If we never have seasons of famine, then we'll never know that God can provide. If we never are put in danger, then we never know that God can protect us. Trials help to reveal God's character to us in a personal way.
21. All Things Are Working For Your Good
And last but not least, if I didn't find a reason that applies to you just know and remember that all things are working for your good! If you are going through it, then that means that God is using it to bring goodness into your life!
For some of you, I know that simply seeing the reasons is not enough to justify the pain that you're going through. Looking at a long list of reasons can never feel like enough when the pain that you're feeling is so deep and so severe. Sometimes even knowing the reason would make me even angrier. Like if this is why, why couldn't it have been done a different way? Why was THIS the path that was chosen for my life? Why did I have to go through anything, to BEGIN WITH? And friends trust me when I say that I understand you. Some of the things that God brings us through is so heart-wrenching and heartbreaking that for some of us it can be hard to carry on. Sometimes it's enough to make you want to lose the faith altogether. But trust me when I say that there is something that experience gives you that nothing else can touch. Experience has given me a perspective and an insight that no one in a classroom could ever teach me. It's deepened my faith and strengthened my character in ways that sometimes I literally cannot recognize myself. I understand that this is hard. And this may be the hardest thing that you have ever been through, but God has put a strength in you to get through this like no other. And you may not have all the answers now as to why, but it will all make sense eventually. And trusting God through this will make your life way easier. Because life will happen one way or another; but it will be easier to go through life with someone on your side (who is working in your best interest!)
