Why do bad things happen to good people and christians?

I actually am not following God now (for a variety of reasons I won't get into). But I was a Christian for 30 years and experienced a Lot of bad stuff in that time.
Even in my current spiritual state I'd say someone that chooses not to follow God based solely on the idea that bad things might/have happened to them to be a very uninformed and uneducated reason.
Hence my first post on the subject showing modern people in modern times keeping their faith.

If you read the Bible you see God never promises to prevent bad things, but rather to use those bad things to work out for something good. You also see many people in the Bible fall into bad situations.
Pretty much all the Apostles were imprisoned and murdered. The book of Job. Just to name a few. Or how about God Himself on earth in the form of Jesus Christ who was betrayed, tortured beyond recognition, whipped, mocked, forced to carry the instrument of his death up a hill, a crown of throws shoved on his head, nailed to a cross, spent hours exhausted and struggling to breath and knowing he was not even guilty.
I mean if you've read the Bible then it's clear that bad things happen to everyone. But that's not really a basis for belief.
That is what faith is all about, after all. Believing without reason to believe.

Who is a good person?

JESUS!!!!

So because I'm a Christian, that's why bad things are happening to me? Does this mean that if I stop being a Christian, then things might be better?

No that does not mean that at all! Persecution happens to Christians, yes, but bad things in general happen to everybody (such as illness or injustice).
Actually, as christians, we are better off because God can use the bad things to still let good things happen out of them, and we also have the hope of heaven while unbelievers just need to endure without that knowledge. God will help you come through the hard and awful times, and it´s definitely better with than without him!!!

Thats not at all what I said. My point was bad things happen to Everyone. Christian or not.

Ecclesiastes

The Book says it all... Give it a read.

i prayed for God to destroy me and the next day I got psychosis which developed into schizophrenia over the course of 3 years, still suffering to this day, I regret nothing

"The righteous perishes, And no man takes it to heart; Merciful men are taken away, While no one considers That the righteous is taken away from evil."
Isaiah 57:1

That is to answer the "good christians dying"; I could also quote Paul who rightly says on the subject:

" 21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
Philipians 1:21

As for diseases and pain there can be several explanations, it is not a one answer fits all type of question.

For instance Paul was buffeted by and angel of Satan to keep him from pride.

Some brother were given over to destruction by Satan because of their sins that their body might be destroyed and their soul saved.

Some truely righteous people like Job were just being tested; these test made them grow and ended up being profitable for them (kind of like when you do pull ups, push ups and such; physical exercises bring you pain; but also fortify you in the long run; so does our trials in this world who can help us grow in sanctification, burning up dross and refining us that we might be conformed to the image of Christ).

So trials can be for correction (God says he discipline those he loves).

For refining us.

Or also for unforseen positive things in the world overall.

For instance I got ran over by a car; I didn't enjoy it very much; however it did allow me to witness to the firefighter bringing me to the hospital and also to the nurses. lol
Who knows, maybe I will find out one of them had this encounter plays a role in their coming to Christ; which would make it very much worth it!

When I was a kid I broke my front teeth; since then the fake one were very fragile, so I was forced to learn diplomacy instead of physical violence (I was not a christian back then); maybe this kept me from ending up in jail or something.


"2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. "
James 1:2-5

And I'd like to close with one of my favourite verse:

"33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”"
John 16:33

Bad things happen to bad people, there are no good people. God alone is good.

That being said, as I mentioned earlier there can be several explanation, but indeed there can be an aspect of reaping what ones sow.

"7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."
Galatians 6:7-8

But the good news is:

"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
1 John 1:9

Oops, time limit prevent me from editing, so sorry for the spam but I wanted to clarify:

Rereading my first message, I'd like to clarify that as for Job situation I do not think the only goal of his trial was to test him; but it also had great value to teach useful lessons to all believers in the future; so sometimes we have to not only think about "what does this pain profits me?" and also wonder if maybe some other people may be edified through our pain.

There are no "good people".

I put the answer in the book I wrote, God gives everyone free will, some people decide to use it for good and others decide to use it for evil. God does not interfere with our descions made from our own free will.

The Bible says it rains on the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45) Meaning that the same problems can fall on anyone, you are not being singled out bro! It seems what we are to learn is how to endure! We learn this one way or another in life. I served 2 Tours in Vietnam before Jesus came into my life, and when the enemy came in great numbers to kill us most who never believed in Jesus were sure crying out for his help! Some like me got his help while others did not, why????

The honest answer dear brother is I don't know! But what I do know is what happened to me after the war! Jesus reached out to me at the tender age of 22 in a mop closet in college and life did not get better, BUT!!!! my mental health sure did!! I had no more fear, my PTSD left me in a week, and Jesus helps me even today at age 70! The point!!! The devil comes to rob us of our Jesus if we let him, and we have to learn through God's Word which if we really believe then we live this out, no matter what!

After Jesus I was homeless for 2 years, I endured, I was made fun of and mocked, I endured but this on my own I could never have done brother without the very Word of God both in my mindset and living this out as best I can. (Rom 12:1-2) To have a new mindset is everything brother!! In this we obtain by staying in what Jesus says rather than what the world says! (By staying in God's Word daily!!) No matter what things look like, or how I feel!

You're a man not a mouse brother, you can be free of fear and uncertainty. BUT you have to believe this!!! And you, like me can have this if you follow our good Lord instruction. You not defeated!!!! Many people use their faith in the wrong way for it is easy to believe the bad things about self, rather than what you could provide to others to help them! I learned this the hard way brother! By helping others, you indeed help yourself! This sure worked for me bro! You have both my love in Jesus as well as my prayers!

That is not true; God interfere all the time; he even sometimes limits some people´s free will to some extent; you should try reading the book HE wrote.

dude if that is true, than why for the life of me can I not find work to get off social assistance

Am I in the place of God to tell you of his plans? Maybe you are not looking for the right thing; maybe you not finding it will allows you to fulfill something else that adds value to your or someone else´s life; maybe you did not ask and therefore you do not receive; or maybe you ask for wrong reasons. The fact that God can put opportunities in our lives, and soften the heart of recruiters to incline them toward hiring us; does not mean he will do so every time. Quite often life experiences we find unpleasant actually refine us and help us grow in a way.

I do believe that all things work for the good of those who love God. Do you love God?

No, if you could tell me his plans, then that would put you on the same field of being a god.

Well I've tried secular jobs and they all fall through and fail miserably, they never last long. I would love to do what I thought God called me to do and preach, but I've never had any help trying to get into Bible college and ones I applied to on my own rejected me.

I might be getting into a secular college this fall but it's for a secular job so I can pay for a bachelor of ministry through correspondence course. Because I can't afford it on ODSP.

I hate the fact I don't have reliable transportation to start looking for a church again.

Of course I love God, if I didn't I would be on a secular social site and abandoning all efforts to try and Persue the ministry. Even though I am discouraged and questioning my calling and whether God even loves me.

While the journey is diff for everyone, no one is immune to suffering. Eventually, we all learn loss, hardships of some or several sorts. Life comes with ups, downs and all arounds. One of the cool things about faith is having God to help us through the bad times. His help is often found in just His spirit to give us strength to carry on. He also gives us one another to help each other walk our way home to Him.

So true.