Skip to main content

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good Looking People?

I ask the question because it directly concerns me. After all, if I wasn't cursed with such rugged good looks, then maybe I wouldn't need the answer so badly. Of course, because I care for all of God's people, I'd still want to know.

So why do bad things happen to good looking people? We may never truly know, but more people seem to take looks out of the equation and ask why bad things happen to good people. As one of my leaders discussed this with the teens on Sunday night admitted, perhaps we should shorten the question to; why do bad things happen?

After all, Jesus told us that no is good but God alone and Paul affirmed many times that all of us are sinful. So to define a good person is to ask an entirely different question. But bad things? Well, that can be explained by sin, the world-wide disease for which there is only One cure.

Delightfully tucked away in the prophets, though, is a great reason that God has given us to ease our wondering.

The righteous perish,
and no one takes it to heart;
the devout are taken away,
and no one understands
that the righteous are taken away
to be spared from evil.
Those who walk uprightly
enter into peace;
they find rest as they lie in death. ~Isaiah 57:1-2

Sure, we talk about how loved ones are in a better place, but let's face it. It's not just where they are, but where they aren't. A quick glance at Twitter or Facebook will tell you there is plenty of drama here that would best be left behind.

Of course, this may not answer the meaning behind those who suffer and still remain here. I suppose for that we have to go back and be content that bad things happen because there's sin in the world. But buck up, little campers, Jesus has brought the cure!

That really should be enough, whether or not you have devastatingly good looks like me or not.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Accountable

I recently officiated a wedding. The ceremony was simple, lovely, and ended with another couple professing to keep the covenant of marriage. But it all started with a clarification...from me. At our first premarital counseling session, as I have done with every couple I have agreed to marry, I clarified a couple of matters. First, I officiate Christian weddings, where both spouses-to-be are professing Christians. I firmly believe that marriage is difficult enough, without adding disagreements about God into the mix. Second, as a minister of Jesus Christ, I believe the pastor’s role in a wedding is to represent the blessing of God on that union. So we have several sessions of premarital counseling where we discuss married life. It’s not that I have this imaginary card in my head, with a picture of me on the front and my stats on the back. (You know, like a baseball card.) Ok, I do picture cards. Pastor cards! And being a competitive guy, I want my stats to look good. The number of coupl...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Facebook Maybe

Granted, I'm a pastor. I have Type-A tendencies. Ok, my tendencies border on freakish OCD behavior patterns, but... Few things bother me more than the Facebook 'maybe'. I suppose I could go on and on about the grey areas of our society and the refusal of people to accept absolute standards. I could discuss the great need of people to accept that what is wrong for one person is likely wrong for everyone. I should certainly be concerned about mentioning that someone might have sin in their life. But I don't believe the Facebook 'maybe' is quite sin. Perhaps if I were coming up with new sins, I would add this to the list. But alas... Some might think the Facebook 'maybe' did not exist prior to the Internet, but they would be wrong. When I was in high school and asked a girl out on a date, I would normally be told that if they had no other plans, if nobody else called them, if there was nothing good on television and their hair did not need washing, then per...
5 comments
Read more

But I Wanted It

As I've said before , I'm looking for a new place to do youth ministry. Job searching in itself can be a full time task. Unfortunately, no one is paying me to look for a job. And when you haven't had to find a job in 15 years, the whole experience can feel brand new. And nerve-wracking. And quiet. So very, very quiet. I may spend a few hours here and there sending out my resumes and writing cover letters. But the churches I'm sending my information to have their own timeline. And sometimes that timeline does not involve acknowledging my presence. Which is fine, especially if one of the churches I've applied to is reading this right now. I understand those looking for youth pastors will have their own agenda and their own timeline. But it leaves me sitting here with a deafening quiet around me. I am choosing to walk by faith through these days, picturing God working behind the scenes (always behind the scenes) and holding His voice very still, until He is re...
2 comments
Read more