2015 08 16 ~ Why do Good Things Happen

Why do Good Things Happen? We all have experiences in our lives. Some things are good and some are bad. Have you ever wondered why bad things happen? Many people do. We have discussed that bad things happen because of sin. Sin brings death. Sin in the earth, our sin, and other people’s sin cause bad things to happen. Sometimes we choose to sin and sometimes we haven’t learned enough about God to know the right way to live. Many people want to know why bad things happen, but I don’t remember anyone asking why good things happen. Do we like it when bad things happen? No. So what do we want? We want good things! If we want good things, shouldn’t we know what causes them? One thing that causes good things to happen is out of our control. It is the amazing goodness of our God. God causes many good things all the time. He created life so precious babies are born. He gives rain so flowers bloom. He puts things in our lives He knows will bless us. This is why it is so important to thank God when good things happen. The Bible tells us “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 NIV I want to discuss a way we can choose for good things to happen. Good things happen because of the goodness of God in Him, but good things can also happen because of His goodness in US! God teaches us to give good gifts too. Remember when we choose sin, bad things happen and people are hurt. The opposite happens when we choose to live God’s way. When we get to know God and live the way Jesus did, good things happen. What are some things we know about God’s character and the way He lives? He loves always! If we choose to love others as God does we will share and be kind. We will help when someone is struggling. We will work hard and take care of the good things God has given us like our homes or playgrounds. We will tell the truth instead of lies. We will give good gifts to others. Can you see all the good things that can happen when we choose God’s ways? Sometimes it feels like the world is full of bad things. It is true bad things happen all the time. God is doing His part. He wants us to do ours! We can choose to live as God does and that makes good things happen. The more of us who make good things happen, the more good things there will be. We will also let other people, who make bad choices, see God in us so they will want to make good things happen too. God wants to be a team. He wants to know if you will work with Him to make good things happen. You can’t do it alone. You can only make good things happen by learning His character and how He lives. Then you can allow Him to share His goodness through you to others when you obey and choose His way.