Good Vs. Evil

       Have you ever asked the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”  Or maybe you have thought, “If God is so loving then why is there poverty in the world, or why did I get abused as a child, and where is this loving God while my mother is dying from cancer?”

        The enemy has done an excellent job of pulling people away from the loving God, simply by convincing mankind that the pain they are experiencing is the result of a cruel and arrogant dictator lurking down from heaven. 
        
        When I refer to the “enemy” I am referring to the one who is actually cruel, arrogant, evil, and a liar since the beginning of time. There is absolutely no truth to be found in the devil and yet somehow humanity has blamed God unjustly for their pain because they have believed a lie.

        In this life, there are so many things against us. The world is full of deceptions, sicknesses, evil vises, and sufferings of many kinds.  You can even be your own greatest enemy.  So when I think of all these life antagonists and daily oppositions, I become overwhelmed.  It is almost as if several different weights are pulling us down.  A weight named fear, one entitled depression, or cancer, divorce, or even consequences of sin.  The weights that pull us down on a daily basis have a broader name called evil.

        Evil produces suffering. Evil is defined as “deliberately causing great harm, pain, or upset.” Suffering always requires comfort, and comfort is found at its best in compassion.   The very first time God reveals himself in scripture it is written, “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.” Exodus 34:5-7

       
       As these weights pull us down to discourage and disappoint us, but there is one who is the lifter of our heads. “³But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”(Psalm 3:3)The Lord is famous for his goodness. He is the author of everything that is good. If you have ever experienced a presence carrying you through your trial, situation, or disaster it was He, the only good God. And He waits to reveal of his goodness to you.

       This world was created by God but He delegated it to us to keep up with the maintenance and production. Have you ever given your son or daughter a chore to complete? This chore becomes their duty and responsibility. But duty and responsibility are not enough to execute tasks. Will power must be the driving force to be a good steward of what has been delegated to you. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve did not exemplify mindful and correct will power, when their Dad asked them to govern the Earth.  (Gen. 1)

      
       Evil was never created. Evil is perverted goodness. Evil is what developed from humanity messing with goodness.  It has nothing to do with God, and has everything to do with us.  After God delegated creation with all of its goodness to Adam and Eve, the very next thing they did was hand it off to Satan. And because Satan can’t create anything, he is perverting anything in this life that is good, into something that can be used to cause us to suffer.

     
      When bad things happen to us, we have to remember that everything God intended for our lives was for our good.  And through Him we will not be overcome by evil, but will overcome evil with good!