Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen to Children? Understanding Our Fallen World

Part 2 of our series on explaining difficult questions about God to children

In my previous blog, “Explaining Why God Allows Bad Things to Happen to Children,” (find it here )we talked about a robot dog that couldn’t choose whether or not to love its owner. We discovered that real love always requires a choice. God gave people free will so that our love for Him and for one another would be genuine.

Today we’ll explore another important question children often ask:

“If God is good, why is there so much hurt in the world?”

To answer that, we need to understand what the Bible calls our fallen world.

Imagine You’re at a Friend’s House

Imagine your parents drop you off for a playdate at a friend’s house.

At first, everything is exciting. Their family eats different foods, has different house rules, and owns toys you’ve never seen before. It’s fun exploring something new.

Then something changes.

Your friend’s older brother comes into the room. He kicks over the game you’re playing, calls you names, and pushes you.

You feel scared.

You cry.

Your friend can’t stop him because he’s much bigger and stronger.

Your friend runs to ask his mom for help, but she simply laughs and doesn’t do anything.

You know something isn’t right.

You didn’t do anything wrong.

The bully should be held responsible for hurting someone else.

Deep inside, you long for justice.

Jesus understood that feeling. He said,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
— Matthew 5:6

When you wanted the bully to be stopped, you were longing for what is right. That’s called righteousness.

One day, God will make everything right. Although we don’t always see justice in this world, we know that perfect justice belongs to God.

Why Do You Want to Go Home?

Even though there were fun toys and enjoyable moments during the playdate, after everything happened you probably wanted to go home.

Why?

Because home feels safe.

At home, your older brother may tease you sometimes, but he loves you. Your parents care for you and do their best to protect you.

You know you belong there.

Your friend’s house isn’t your home.

Our World Is Like That Friend’s House

The Bible teaches that we live in a fallen world.

That means sin has affected everything.

There is still beauty.

There are wonderful people.

There is laughter.

There are adventures.

There is love.

But there is also sickness.

Loss.

Bullies.

Selfishness.

Death.

People use the free will God gave them to make both good and bad choices.

Sometimes those choices hurt others.

That doesn’t mean God enjoys suffering.

It means we are living in a world that is not the way He originally created it to be.

Jesus Understands Heartache

Jesus knows exactly what it feels like to experience sadness, rejection, and pain.

That’s why He said,

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
— Matthew 5:4

What Does Comfort Mean?

Think back to when you were learning to ride a bicycle.

You fell.

You scraped your knee.

You cried.

One of your parents probably hurried over to hug you, clean your scrape, wipe away your tears, and encourage you to try again.

They couldn’t erase the fall.

But they stayed with you.

God comforts us in much the same way.

He is near when our hearts are hurting.

He gives us strength, peace, and hope, reminding us that we are never alone.

What Does “Blessed” Mean?

To be blessed means receiving God’s goodness in your life.

Sometimes God’s blessings are people who love us.

Sometimes they’re answered prayers.

Sometimes they’re the peace He gives us when life is difficult.

God’s greatest blessing is knowing that He is always with us.

This World Is Not Our Forever Home

Remember the friend’s house?

Eventually you wanted to leave because you knew your real home was waiting.

The Bible tells us something similar.

As Christians, this world is not our permanent home.

Heaven is.

That’s why our hearts long for something better.

In heaven there will be no sickness.

No bullies.

No death.

No heartbreak.

Only perfect love, joy, peace, and the presence of God.

That’s the home every Christian longs for.

When Bad Things Happen

Whenever something painful happens, it’s natural to have questions.

Sometimes we wonder why God allowed it.

Although we may not understand every answer, difficult times remind us that this broken world is not the end of the story.

God has prepared something far better for everyone who trusts in Him.

Our hope isn’t found in this fallen world.

Our hope is found in Jesus Christ.

One day, He will make everything new.

Coming Next…

In the next blog, we’ll explore the most important question of all:

How can we get to our forever home? Where’s the map? Where’s the key?