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Why do bad things happen to good people?

Over the last number of weeks, the issue of suffering has come up several times. Specifically, the question of why Christians suffer has been at the forefront of our thoughts. Finding a comprehensive answer to this question has always troubled believers. It is too easy to latch on to one answer and then limit God's work to our theological construct. At times, we easily fall into the formula of "Do good, get blessed; Do evil: get cursed." Unfortunately, we all can immediately cite examples where those who do good aren't blessed, and those who do evil seemingly are blessed. Indeed, many of the formulaic approaches to suffering hit this snag. There are exceptions to the formula. Where do we find a comprehensive explanation for suffering? Well, let's start with our title. It is taken from the title of a well known book from a number of years ago. It is a question that is repeatedly asked. However, it is wrong in its basic formula. Bad things don't happen to ...

What's in a name?

William Carey, the father of modern missions, described his greatest strength in the following words: "I can plod. This is my only genius. I can persevere in any definite pursuit. To this I owe everything." I cannot claim to have the genius or determination of a William Carey. I share his doctrine and his denomination, but fall far short of his commitment to Christ. However, I do identify with the desire to be a plodder for Jesus Christ. We live in a day where everyone seems to be chasing after their 15 minutes of fame. "Here today, gone tomorrow" appears to be the motto of our age. In contrast, I want to plod on till Jesus comes or until that day he calls me home. Having now clearly entered into the second half of my life, I want to finish well. My prayer is that I may be found a faithful servant till then. When I chose a "life" verse as a young man, I had no idea that it would become so much more meaningful the older I grew. Yet these verses seem ever mo...