Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

You know, I'd like to play pitcher, but sometimes it puts me in left field. No, I want to be the pitcher, but he has me out in left field because you know what? There's a role for me out there. Some of you right now have been put out even sitting on the bench. You may not be able to actually be getting into the game. You're sitting on your bench warmer right now or in the bullfeet or what have you. I'm just trying to say no better where you are right now. Your joy should be just as strong as your joy is not based on things or this world. I mean, this is all going to go great. This has mattered for joy's based on him. Welcome to the Ignite with Barry McGuire podcast where Barry's book and passion for spreading God's love are guaranteed to ignite your life. Now listen in and prepare to have your life ignited. You know, bad things happen to good people. I mean, the scripture, the rainfall and the just and the unjust. I've experienced that. I think most of you have, I mean, I've been through hell. I mean, I've had so many bad things happen to me. But God has made them all good. Romans 8.20. He makes all the bad stuff turn into good stuff. If you love him and live your life, agree to his purpose. So why do we go through these tough things? I mean, I look back. I mean, I had a realty mind that was a business partner trying to stab me. He tried to kill me, okay? I had a realty sue me for religious discrimination. I had a daughter that lost a drug addiction for 10 years. I lost her. I lost her. I had a business partner, a venture capitalist that came and tried to get me through me out of my own company. I mean, I've had unbelievable things happen to me. You know what? Every one of those things has made me better, not worse. When we, when we want to build our trust-like building muscles, there has to be resistance. If we don't have challenges, we're all going to be spoiled Christians. No, it's meaningless. I mean, just go along because we're just taken care of. I mean, we have too many kids like that. Now, you just bless them with everything. And they're out of control. We would be out of control Christians. If life just went along, God never promises a rose garden. And we all know it. When we get in those tough situations, don't we have growth spurts in our Christian walk, in our spiritual walk, in our closest to God? Don't we get closer to God in those tough situations? So the first thing is as Christians, as lovers, as followers of Jesus Christ, we're going to go through those tough times because it's through those tough times that we grow stronger and stronger. I get to, I'm pretty strong right now, because I've been through a lot of tough stuff. But that's not the only reason. We're to be salt and white. You know, when God salts the earth, it's kind of like salting by a stake on the grill. I like to grill. I like to barbecue. When I put salt, you know, the salt, some of the lands on top, when some of it lands down the crevices on the sides and some of the grill, we're the salty earth. And when he salts us, you know, not all the salt lands on top. Not all it lands on the, you know, the house on the hill, and the big job and fame and fortune, whatever. Some of that salt ends up in cancer words and closed foreclosures on homes and unemployment lines and terrible situations. The fact that matter is the joy of the Lord is our strength, not our position. I learned from Bill God that many years ago, God is not nearly so concerned with what we go through as he isn't how we respond to what we go through. And when we lose something of precious value or, you know, there's a tragic death in our family or whatever, we hurt. I mean, I'm not saying, you know, we're not impactments, but we don't sorrow as people have no hope. We look at it. And we say, God, we don't understand why, but you're God. You're the God of the universe. And you love the, and you're prepared to place for me in heaven, and I know you're going to make my path straight. I know you're going to come in, and I trust you, God, and it's when you're doing that in those tough times that you have the biggest witness. Same words you probably said just before the tragedy, but now they have so much more meaning. And you know what, the people, there's a lot of people that are lost at hurting and can't find God, and they're in the cancer world, and they're on the employment lines, and they're out on the street in some case, and they're in all these just very difficult situations. I can't reach them. I can't. I can talk to them, but you know what? I haven't walked in their shoes. The best witness, the best encouragement comes from somebody who's walked in those same shoes, and he places those. That's our position. You know, I'd like to play pitcher, but sometimes it puts me in left field. No, I wouldn't be the pitcher, but he has me out in left field, because you know what, there's a role for me out there. Some of you right now have been put out, even sitting on the bench. You may not be able to actually be getting into the game. You're sitting on your bench warmer right now, or in the bull fit, or what have you. I just try to say no matter where you are right now, your joy should be just as strong as your joy is not based on things or this world. I mean, this is all going to go where it doesn't matter. Our joy is based on him. And I was always troubled by this scripture. We are a peculiar people. I don't want to be weird. I don't want to be peculiar. But I found myself being peculiar over these last few years. Not me, I may be odd, by the fact that when I've been in my tough situations, I almost died three years ago right now. I was in a hospital in coma, okay? I know what tough times are. You know, in that hospital, I ministered to 23 different doctors and nurses. I was on fire. I thought, God, if I'm going to die, I'm going to go out with the baby, you know what? And he made the past right. We took me through the other side. It's so much fun. So if you're in that tough place, yeah, he lets us get in the tough places. One for our own personal development. And secondly, maybe even more importantly, because he's put you there, because there's no other way. He has to get a Christian there. He has to get a Christian at that point, because he knows there's somebody that's hungry and searching and wants to know about God. And how is he going to get the message to unless he takes one of his choice people and puts them in that same place? So look at where you are and rejoice in it. I caught green pastures when I was a kid. I thought, you know what? Why would God ever have to make me lie down and green pastures in the 23rd time? I said, that doesn't make sense to me. You know how many times in my life he's made me lie down and green pastures, but I didn't know it. He's forced me to go away. I didn't want to go. I was like, happy. I was just like, wow, what is going on here? I was really kind of like not handling it as well. I'm talking about we should handle it. Now, this goes back earlier in my life. And then eventually I would look down and say, that's a green pasture. Oh, wow. And look how God has used me here. Thank you, God. David Ferguson preached a sermon years back. Right song, wrong side. Right song, wrong side. I've never gotten enough clothes with this. It's all about the children is or they're leaving each to get to the river. And now they see they can't get across. The Egyptians are coming down. The armies are coming down on them. And they have nowhere to go. And so now they're mad at God. They're mad at Moses. I'd be there, not happy campers. And of course, he puts the Moses puts the pole down in the party of the waters. It's amazing miracle. They get to the other side and they rejoice. So they're singing and they build a monument, you know, and David Ferguson said that night. Right song, wrong side. When you're in the dark spot, recognize God is not saying, oops. He didn't forget about you. No, he's placed you there for a purpose. You have purpose in your life. And all you have to do is look out and grab it. And you will have joy. Again, it's that joy. You just can't lose. God has you right now, right where he wants you. I don't care how deep the pain. I don't care how deep the pain. In fact, the deeper the pain and the bigger the hurt and the darker the place that you're in, the brighter your life is. Ready to shine for Jesus Christ. Remember, sharing your faith. Ignite your faith. See you next time on The Ignite with Barry Maguire Podcast.