Sometimes we hear people say, ‘Why does God let bad things happen to good people?’ Have you ever asked that question? I know I have. And I’ve had people ask it of me. It’s not an easy question to answer.
Bad things’ happening to good people is the theme of ‘All the Days of My Life’ by Jo-Anne Berthelsen. But the novel also shows that others are drawn into the kingdom as they see a believer struggle with hardship and loss and still continue to trust in God. Yes, the book is fiction – fiction based on fact. However, we have a real live example in Paul.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians he was in prison. Yet he could say that his imprisonment, even though it was a hardship, had positive effects for it had advanced the spread of the gospel, verse 12. He also knew that because of his circumstances and situation there had been an opportunity which would not have been available to him otherwise and that was that all the guards had heard the gospel message.
Paul could have felt sorry for himself and grumbled and fretted about being imprisoned. He did not. He used the situation to further God’s kingdom. Do you and I do the same when bad things happen to us?
Paul not only used the situation for good, he made the lost of it. While in prison he wrote letters – the very letters we have in our bibles, letters that challenged and encouraged people in their Christian life back then and still do so today.
We might be tempted to think we’ll get on with ministry and talking about Jesus when our situation changes for the better. That’s not what the way Paul operated. Like Paul we need to see that today is when we need to start, right now, in the situation we are in, whatever that may be.
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