When circumstances change, and our world is turned upside down, is God still good?
If God is so good, why did my business fail?
If God is so good, why did my loved one die unexpectedly?
If God is so good, why was my child born with physical/mental disabilities?
If God is so good, why does evil and suffering still exist?
When we measure goodness on our own terms, goodness becomes temporal and circumstantial.
When we equate goodness with how we feel, goodness fades when the feelings are gone.
When we equate goodness with our circumstances, goodness can disappear when things don’t go our way.
When we equate goodness with what people can do for us, goodness becomes dependent on the words and actions of others.
When we equate goodness with society’s definition of “good”, what’s “good” today can be out of fashion tomorrow.
When we measure goodness by God’s terms, goodness becomes permanent and unchanging because it involves more than His actions – goodness is His very nature, all that He is and all that He can do.
Often, when people question the goodness of God, they are really asking why God didn’t stop bad things from happening. However, God doesn’t stop being good just because bad things happen to us. Quite the opposite, His goodness is made even more apparent in our lives.
When we are lost, He shows us the way.
When we grieve, He provides comfort.
When we are restless, He provides peace.
When we are in lack, He provides for our every need.
When times get tough, many Christians take comfort in Romans 8:28 because of the promise that God takes the bad and ugly parts of our life and works it out for our good.
The trials of life come not as punishment but as a testing ground for faith. Pain redeemed does more to us and the people around us, than pain removed.
The goodness of God isn’t about a life without pain. Rather, it’s about a redemption of the bad that has happened – that can be used for good. Nothing that happens is irredeemable.
God’s goodness gives us hope that we can live a life of meaning and purpose, that our trials can be redeemed and used for good.
This article first appeared in Issue 04/2017, Trinitarian Magazine
Reflect & Respond
How have you experienced God's goodness even in the midst of challenges? Is there one thing you can be thankful to God for each day?
Which scriptural references to God's goodness can you praise God for and declare into your life?
Will you let God turn your test into your testimony?