Why Do Bad Things Happen to Me? I'm a Good Person!

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Me? I'm a Good Person!

Why do bad things happen to me? This is an interesting question. I am amazed at how often

people have asked this question. Some people think that because they are Christian, that all things should now be good. Their kids will behave, not be whiny. They will never run out of gas. It will never rain on their picnic. They will never get a ticket for speeding. (Or is it that they will not get caught?) Where in the Bible does it say that only good things will happen to those that follow Jesus? (LOL - It doesn’t say it anywhere, does it? It’s just in our way of thinking.)

I am not here to preach, but I’ll admit up front that this is a challenging question to keep separate from my faith, so if this area scares you, it may be best to stop reading now. I cannot apologize for what I believe and may say going forward.

Let me begin with a question of my own -

Who ever said or gave the expectation that being a good person meant that life would be easy and there would be no problems? It’s as if we think there is some universal law of the universe that states that only good will come before us, if we do the universal good initially.

When we feed a baby, two things happen. There is nourishment, and there are by-products. Of course, it would be nice to think, and or expect, that if we put the nourishment into the body, only the positive results come forth. But would we expect the same results if we put potato chips into our body compared to vegetables? Potato chips are simply a vegetable modified with a little cream and cheddar seasoning, or is it salt & vinegar, or sour cream & onion, or simply the wavy ridges? We all know the correct answer. Vegetables are better nutritionally than chips.

Then there’s alcohol. There is not much nutritional value there, but there are so many tasty options that are available today, and if we choose to indulge, with safety, we can add some flavor and zest to our lives.

What happens if we ingest too many chips or too much alcohol? It’s not a good feeling, is it? The initial feeling is great, but later we may pay a different price, right? Our amazing bodies were created with a liver, which can process the alcohol. But there is such a thing as too much.

Ever been on a mountain top?

If you have, then you truly understand the phrase, “mountain top experience.” As much as we’d like, we cannot stay on the mountain top, we have to come down.

And when we have been at our lowest, we call those times, living in the valley, this means, in a spiritual sense, living in a humble state where we feel limitations and seek growth. Of course we don’t want to live here permanently either. And if we stay here too long, we start to experience a form of depression.

Much of this is recognizing that we live in our own “Circle of Control.” We must recognize that we only have the potential to truly control ourselves, and that is enough of a challenge for most of us.

When good things happen, we take them, and assume that we somehow deserve them.

There is no such truth. And while we may not “deserve” them, by our previous performance and actions, we may be able to prepare things to line up to favor us. If so, go with it. If not, look at what you can control. You can control your response. You can control your attitude. You can control your emotions. You can ask for help or assistance.

Asking for help is nearly impossible for some of us.

We do not want to impose on others. Again, it comes back to “Circle of Control.” You do not control others. You only control yourself. If you would like help, ask for a little assistance. You won’t get it because you are a good person, you will get it because they choose to give.

Good things happen to good people, and they also happen to bad people.

Bad things happen to bad people, and they also happen to good people.

It’s just the way it is.

The response is up to you, and your “Circle of Control.”