When tragedy hits, it is normal to question the existence of God.  In fact, a common objection against the belief in God is, “If there is a loving and all-powerful God, then why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?”  This is a fair question.  In fact, this is a question that even believers in God have asked many times.

In order to realise why bad things often happen to good people in our world, we need to understand the meaning of what Jesus said in John 19:30, “It is finished!”  When Jesus said these words, he was proclaiming to the world that his mission, to pay the price for our sins so that we may all have eternal life, had been fulfilled. 

Jesus’ mission was never about giving us a perfect life in this world, where we would have no pain, sorrow, or suffering, his focus was always on getting us into the next world, where all of these things will be gone forever (Revelation 21:4). 

The reality is that we are living in a broken, and messed up world, and because of this, tragedies will happen that seem totally unfair, and which make no sense at all.  But God promises to be with us always through these dark times, and in Jesus, we have the wonderful hope that this world is not the end. 

If you are going through a tough time right now, remember, that Jesus has prepared the way for us to be with God and our loved ones forevermore in heaven, on the day of his wonderful return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  May this amazing truth give you strength, comfort, and peace. 

God bless,

Roland Talamaivao-Amituanai