VIDEO: Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Jim Daly Jim Daly is president and chief executive officer of Focus on the Family, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families thrive.
Updated Sep 20, 2013

We get their calls and emails all the time: people who are going through the unthinkable and reach out to us hoping for hope. It’s never easy to understand why these men and women – often through no fault of their own – are hurting so badly.

And, indeed, it’s an age-old question: Why do bad things happen to good people?

A brokenhearted wife who just learned her husband cheated on her.

A family that lost their home in this tough economy.

The parents of a wayward teen who’s turned his back on his childhood faith.

Why does God allow His children to suffer like this? Where is He?

Does He even care?

You may be wrestling with these tough questions. It may be your family, marriage or child facing these impossible situations and you may feel like your foundation is breaking away.

If you’ve been a believer for long, it’s easy to buy into the lie that these doubts make you a lesser Christian. Too often, well-meaning people advise others to not question God, or to simply accept what’s going on as His will. They’ll caution that any sort of doubt is a sign of a lack of faith.

Instead of helping, what that does is heap shame on top of the pain the person is already facing.

I want you to know this: it’s OK to struggle and ask why. After all, a faith unquestioned and untested is no faith at all. There’s nothing “bad” or unusual about the struggles you’re experiencing. Every Christian needs to wrestle with doubt and disbelief.

You may know Kirk Cameron, the former teen actor who became a Christian and has since worked on film projects with faith-filled messages. Not long ago, Kirk struggled with his faith after the young son of close family friends died of cancer. In the aftermath of witnessing this heart-wrenching situation, Kirk asked questions of God – and, in “Unstoppable,” a documentary that will be released as a one-day-only theater event on Tuesday, Sept. 24, he takes us on his journey of doubt, questioning – and eventual hope.

If you’re thinking of taking the family to watch this documentary, be forewarned that it deals with sensitive, difficult issues in a straightforward way. It also includes a reenactment of Cain’s murder of his brother Abel that is a bit gory. As such, it might not be appropriate for the youngest viewers. However, it should be something most older tweens and up should be able to handle.

If you’re doubting, or want to learn how to better address questions of doubts from others, “Unstoppable” is a good place to start the search. If you do see it, don’t stop there – continue in your search of God. He’s big enough to take on your questions, your doubts, and what’s happened to you.

As Christian speaker Sy Rogers has said,

God takes responsibility for everything that happens. Jesus on the cross is God’s way of saying, “I started all of this, I allowed it to go astray, and I will personally pay the price to fix it. And not just in the big, general sense of humanity, but right down to your personal life and mine. I got wounded, I got ripped off, and God brought healing, and He paid me back. Walk long enough with God to give Him opportunity to write more chapters than life may have afforded you quite yet. That’s why perseverance matters.

To learn more about “Unstoppable,” visit http://www.unstoppablethemovie.com/.