Why do bad things happen to good people--part 2?

This is a question I get asked all the time by both Christians and non-Christians. Last week, we turned the question around and asked instead, "Why do good things happen to bad people". Perhaps its our attitude toward God and His holiness that needs to change. This week, let's focus on another reason why terrible things can happen to us.

I think the key is to get our minds off of ourselves and our own little worlds. Most people don't realize that each human being is part of a universal battle for good and evil. We are all caught up in it, whether we like it or not. If you're a Christian, you've probably beome aware of at least some part of this battle. There are two forces in the world. Good (God) and evil (Satan) and until the final battle where Satan is finally destroyed and cast into the lake of fire, our enemy is hot on our trail.

What about Job? If you haven't read the book of Job, I highly recommend it. Job lost his home, his livelihood, his children and his health. Why did all those bad things happen to him? It was because Satan challenged God. He told God that Job wouldn't worship God anymore if all the good things in his life were taken away. So God took him up on the challenge. Now, many of you may think this unfair. It seems like poor Job was simply a pawn in a cosmic game. but lets look at it a little differently. What an incredible opportunity for Job, just an average human mortal, to play a grand part in a huge battle and win a victory for God! He was commissioned by God, the creator of the universe to do battle with the enemy. Now, I don't know about you, but my life is pretty mundane and boring most of the time. I dream of big adventures battling evil and defeating my enemies. Job had that opportunity to make his life count. Isn't that what our lives here are all about? In the end, Satan lost the bet, and Job received back twice everything he had lost.

So, the next time you wonder why bad things are happening to you, stop a minute and think. Perhaps God is giving you an opportunity to glorify Him and win a battle against the enemy! What an incredible privilege.