"Everything Happens for a Reason" is a very popular saying among Christians and it can often be misunderstood. It comes from the fact (and yes this is a fact) that God is in complete control of history. While this is true it sometimes leads us to the wrong conclusion.
Bad things happen in life. That much is a fact. Minor bad things like stubbing our toe or hitting our thumb with a hammer are common place. Major bad things like terminal illness, job loss, poverty, suffering and the death of loved ones can also happen – even to Christians. Sometimes when these things happen in a Christian’s life we may conclude that God is teaching us a hard lesson or even that He is punishing us for our sins (sins He has already punished in Jesus Christ). This kind of thinking can cause us to resent God because we feel like He is dragging us along through the most painful circumstances just to see what we are made of. This is not the case. God knows what we are made of (He’s the One who made us) and He knows that we are but dust (Genesis 2:7, Psalm 103:13-14).
Bad things happen in life because sin has entered the world. Sin was not part of God’s original design for us and neither are the painful results of it. God did not intend for us to live in a world of stubbed toes, bruised thumbs, terminal illness and death. He designed us to live in perfect harmony with Himself and enjoy everything good that He made (John 10:10).
We (human kind) invited sin into this world and now that it’s here we are experiencing the results of it. Can God put a stop to it? Sure He can and in fact He has already begun to do so. In sending Jesus Christ God broke the power of sin and the curse that rests on creation because of it (Romans 8:2). God is moving history toward the time when sin and all its consequences will be banished forever – but we aren’t there yet.
In the meantime we continue to experience bad things in life (although we also enjoy many good things). But God turns bad things around for His glory and our good. God powerfully and incomprehensibly uses even the most difficult circumstances to our benefit (Romans 8:28). In the midst of the worst hardships we may know that we are never out of God’s fatherly hand. Nothing happens to you or me that surprises God. The devil did not sneak some hardship into your life while God wasn’t watching. No! God is in complete control and continues to be our loving Father even in the midst of hardships (Psalm 145:16-18, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
