If you believe in God but struggle with the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people?”, chances are you haven’t yet grasped the weight of free will.

Free will is the God-given ability for human beings to make their own choices—good or bad—without being forced. It’s like being hired for a job where you’re given complete control over your daily decisions, but you’re still expected to follow the company’s values. You’ll have consequences—promotions for good work, write-ups or demotions for bad. But your choices are still your own.

Let’s break this down with an example:

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A Mother’s Prayer, A Son’s Crime

Imagine a young man who makes a horrible decision—he takes someone’s life. He’s arrested and faces the weight of his actions. From the outside, everyone sees a criminal. But what they don’t see is his mother, a woman of faith who’s praying fervently every night. She prays not that her son escapes punishment, but that God shows mercy somewhere in the process.

Now let’s say the judge grants leniency—maybe a lighter sentence or a chance at rehabilitation. People ask, “Why is this bad person getting good outcomes?”

Here’s the key: the mother’s faith moved God, not the son’s actions. That mercy wasn’t earned by the son; it was extended because someone else exercised their faith. That’s her blessing, not his.

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Turning It Around Doesn’t Erase the Crime

Later, the young man turns his life around. Maybe he finds God, gets a steady job, starts helping others, and lives differently. Some might still scoff: “Why is this murderer getting a second chance at life?”

The answer? Because God forgives. He doesn’t erase consequences, but He rewards sincere change. That’s grace. And grace is not the same as fairness through our human lens—it’s divine.

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Faith Is Like a Job

Think of faith like a job:

• When you’re consistent, showing up, growing, and pouring into others—you get promoted. Doors open. Peace increases.
• When you cut corners, lie, hurt others, or move without conscience—you might still have a job, but trust, blessings, and peace start slipping away. You’re getting demoted.

In the same way, our spiritual lives reflect our choices. God doesn’t micromanage every detail like a puppet master. He allows freedom because love without choice isn’t love—it’s control. That’s why you’ll see good people suffer sometimes. It’s not punishment. It’s a result of living in a world full of people with free will—some of whom choose to act in evil or selfish ways.

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So Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

Sometimes those “bad people” are riding the waves of someone else’s prayers, or they’re simply living out the consequences of free will in a world where God’s mercy is still active. But if they continue in wickedness without repentance, their promotions are temporary. There’s no eternal blessing without alignment.

Meanwhile, good people going through hard times may be in a season of testing, growth, or even being positioned for something greater. Promotions in the spiritual world often look like pain first—just like training for a new role can feel overwhelming before it becomes rewarding.

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Final Word

If you don’t understand free will, you’ll keep asking “Why would God let this happen?” But when you grasp it, you realize that God’s love doesn’t override our decisions—it surrounds them. You begin to see that justice in the Kingdom isn’t always instant, but it’s always true.

So keep your faith. Keep showing up. Your spiritual résumé is building—God sees it all, and He never forgets who’s been faithful.