Why....

We look for reasons. We want to explain...

"...who sinned.... causing him to be born blind?"
( Jesus' disciples concerning a blind man in John 9:2)


"...I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble.. reap it."
(Job's friend Eliphaz in Job 4:8)

The age-old question...why do bad things happen to good people?

"No one is good, except God alone."
( Jesus Christ in Mark 10:18)

I suppose perhaps the question should be why not?

While scripture clearly teaches that we reap what we sow, it is also clear that we don't always get what we deserve.

Paul didn't deserve to be an apostle. (1 Cor. 15:9)
The centurion didn't deserve having his servant restored to health. (Matt. 8:8)
The prodigal son didn't deserve to be restored into the family. (Luke 15:21)
Jacob didn't deserve protection from Esau. (Gen. 32:10)

....and I have done nothing to deserve the privileged life I have enjoyed.

Why was I born into a church-going Bible-believing family?
Why was I born an American and not an Ethiopian?
Why have I not had some dreaded disease?
Why do I not have a physical disability?

There is no answer. Certainly, the reasons are not of my own doing.

What IS of my doing is the choices I have made. I can prevent some bad things from coming into my life sometimes, simply by choosing to be obedient and NOT choosing the participate in evil. (...it's that same principle of choosing evil, picking and eating the fruit from that awful tree...)

But just because I don't, doesn't guarantee a trouble-free life.

Just ask Job.