When God created mankind, He gave them free will.
God had no desire that they be robotic in nature, and it does sadden Him when individuals choose to be cruel, evil or wicked. The very nature of God is love, and He loves His creation.
It is an age-old argument. People throughout the years have asked: Is it God’s fault when people choose to be bad?
Let me share with you a story about a young boy who, growing up, wanted nothing more than to have a chocolate lab. One day his parents granted his wish, and the boy was thrilled. He spent years faithfully tending to this dog and, as that dog grew, the two became inseparable. The dog was his pride and joy.
There was another dog in the neighborhood about the same age as the boy’s chocolate lab, and he was a vicious dog, known to roam the streets at night and bully the other dogs. Because of this, the boy always made certain to keep the gate locked, and he checked it faithfully every evening. But one night, the wind boldly blew the gate open. His chocolate lab heard the fierce wind and snuck outside to investigate, and in the morning, the boy found his precious dog lying dead in the back yard. The chocolate lab had been mauled by the vicious neighborhood dog.
Was the boy responsible for the death of his chocolate lab? Was God responsible for this death?
The love that this young boy had for his dog was strong but doesn’t even come close to the love that God has for us. The reality is that it saddens God when we get hurt or when bad things happen to us. He is also sad when we choose to do bad things. God created us as free agents and we have choices. It is His desire that we choose on the side of “good”. To be absent of “good” is to be “bad”.
This life is but a vapor
God says that we are just passing through. He loves us and has made a place in heaven for all who believe; it’s ours for the asking. In Heaven where God resides, there is no evil, no wickedness.
God has warned us that it is bad in this world and He warns us to stay away from it, yet He understands that at times we will be shaken and tormented. He also knows that some of us will choose to be bad, vicious and mean.
Nothing escapes God
He is there both when we are tormented and even there when we are the tormentors. He doesn’t promise us a world that is perfect and free of wickedness. Instead, He promises us that He has a place in eternity for all those who believe and that place is free from wickedness.
God is Peace and Love
The very nature of God is peace and of love; any evil we adhere to does not come from God. Just as there are vicious dogs in this world, there is also a vicious devil. When the devil strikes in our lives, God is there. God will either rescue us, allow us to go through it and remain by our side during it all, or He will pull us up into eternity to remove us from the situation.
Is it God’s fault when we do bad?
I think not. It is His desire that we do good, but He has given us the choice in life: we can do bad or we can do good. What we do and what others do has consequences.
There is both good and evil in this world, God reminds us that there is something beyond this life. There is a place that He talks about that is called Heaven. A place where we don’t have to worry about locking the back gate because there will be no vicious bullies waiting to maul us. God is not responsible when we choose bad over good. It is His desire that we choose good, and He is with us even during those times when bad things happen to us.
“I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.” 1 John 4:16
“And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.” 1 John 3:1
“For I am the perfect father.” Matthew 5:48
“Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.” James 1:17
“I will never stop doing good to you.” Jeremiah 32:40
“For I am your greatest encourager.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
“I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.” Psalm 34:18
– Scriptures from the NIV Bible
