This is a question that many Christians grapple with, and for good reason.

We all have this innate belief that a good person should be rewarded for the good things they’ve done.

And that bad people should be punished for the evil they’ve done.

And that is correct. God said that each person will reap what they sow. He will reward the godly and punish the ungodly.

But when we look around the world, we see the opposite to be true.

Good people are suffering, and the evil people? They’re thriving.

It seems like God has abandoned His justice. And countless people use this as evidence that there is no God.

But just because we don’t understand God’s ways, it does not mean they are wrong.

I went through the book of Habukkuk and Job to investigate the topic of suffering, and I have some insights on this – why good people suffer along with the bad ones.

Job 21:16 (New Living Translation)

¹⁶ (They think their prosperity is of their own doing,
    but I will have nothing to do with that kind of thinking.)

This verse was like an explosion of revelation when I came across it. I finally understood why.

Often times, when we consider a good person, we can see in their life a roof over their heads, warm clothing, loved ones, and robust health.

And automatically, we think, she has earned all that.

And when we come across an evil person, and see the havoc in his life? Poverty, sickness and broken relationships. We think, that’s his doing.

But then we come across other godly people who are down on their luck, while the ungodly prosper. Why?

Suffering happens to both the godly and the ungodly to teach us that our prosperity is not our doing.

This was the truth that smacked me in my face during my study of Job.

Why do good people suffer? And evil people thrive?

All mankind is allotted suffering. Why?

To show us that the reason why we have that roof over our heads, the reason why we are surrounded by loving family, the reason why we can sprint down hallways is because God has blessed us.

Prosperity is a gift from God.

When we see a good person who is thriving, we can say “she has earned it”. But the truth is that she is not prospering because she is good.

She is prospering because she is blessed by God.

And just like prosperity, Jesus is a gift from God. Grace is a gift. Salvation is a gift.

Suffering happens to both the godly and the ungodly to teach us that our prosperity is not our doing, but God’s doing.