People do not automatically deserve the suffering or evil they experience; evil exists because of living in a fallen, broken world. While our actions have consequences, assuming every tragedy is deserved is wrong; we are called instead to trust God, live righteously, and respond with compassion and care.
Scripture teaches the general principle of reaping and sowing (Proverbs 22:8; Galatians 6:7), but that general principle does not automatically mean that people always deserve the evil or suffering that happens to them. The Bible shows that pain can come from living in a fallen world (Genesis 3), from the choices of others (Genesis 4:8-10; John 19:11), from circumstances beyond our control (Luke 13:1-5), or from demonic forces against us (Ephesians 6:12; 1 Peter 5:8). While the Bible teaches that our choices have consequences, it does not mean every trial is caused by personal sin. Evil and suffering exist as a part of a broken world, and God calls us to trust Him and live righteously amid these trials (1 Peter 4:19). We may never fully understand why certain tragedies occur, but assuming they are deserved is wrong and harmful. Instead, we are called to respond with compassion, care, and faith, following Christ’s example of suffering and redemption.
As we sow, we reap, right? Plant an apple seed and, in time, an apple tree springs from the earth. Drop a grain of corn into the soil and some time later, up comes a cornstalk. The same holds true in human behavior. A student who diligently studies will likely get the better grade. An employee who is chronically tardy can expect to be fired. We often do reap what we sow.
But this is not always the case with bad things that happen to us. Evil, difficulty, and suffering exist in this world as a result of sin. We often hear people ask questions like: Why does God allow evil? Or why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? When these questions are asked, we recognize that the world is not as it should be. Until God restores and redeems what sin has destroyed, we must understand that evil is a part of this world. It can come from the brokenness of creation, the choices of others, circumstances beyond our control, or dark spiritual forces aligned against us. Regardless, we will not always know why evil has happened other than the reality that we live in a fallen, broken world.
A drunk driver need not wonder why he struck another vehicle. He plowed into the other car because his reflexes were woefully impaired by alcohol. Charged with DUI and on his way to jail, the drunken driver is reaping what he has sown; however, what about the severely injured driver in the other car? Nothing stronger than an iced latte had entered her system. She was on her way home from the office when her vehicle was struck by an inebriated driver, and now she is in the hospital with multiple injuries and wondering to herself, “Why did this happen to me?”
We may not always know why a baby dies in its crib, a bride is killed on her honeymoon, a pastor is falsely accused of wrongdoing, a faithful mother of three is abandoned by her husband, a beloved teacher is slain in a drive-by shooting, or a conscientious employee nearing retirement is suddenly discharged. God’s people are in no way immune to calamity. Of the Lord’s disciples, it is believed all but one suffered a martyr’s death, and John, the only one to die of old age, had been banished to a desert island. For that matter, our Lord Jesus Himself suffered as no man has ever suffered (Isaiah 53).
To assume all tragedies are a form of divine punishment is foolish, arrogant, hurtful, and simply wrong. Let us not repeat the mistakes of Job’s “miserable comforters” (Job 16:2). Rather than formulating theories, we should be drying tears and dressing wounds.