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When something goes wrong in our lives, the lives of our loved ones, or the world, the temptation for humanity to blame God can be remarkably high. He did create light and darkness, and He can create peace as well as disaster (Isaiah 45:7). If God is supposed to have control over all things, why would He allow bad things to happen? Can't He intervene to prevent tragedy? Have you ever cried out to God in this way? What does the Bible say about blaming God for misfortunes? Is it a sin to blame Him?
The word "blame" literally means "to find fault with." When we blame God, we're accusing Him of messing up. But the fact is that God doesn’t mess up—ever. God is perfect, sovereign, and amazingly loving and compassionate. God hates evil (Proverbs 8:13) and cannot cause evil. When we blame God for problems, we're making ourselves judges of God.
Yet, who are we to judge God? How could we possibly see His perspective and fully understand His "whys" (Ecclesiastes 8:16-17)? We are His creation, so we should not pass judgment on God's actions or purposes, nor should we accuse Him of doing wrong (Isaiah 45:9-10). The Bible tell us that God allows good things as well as bad things to happen in our lives for His good purposes. We may not understand why we're going through a hard time, but God always has a righteous reason for everything we go through—both the joys and the suffering.
To help us stop blaming God, we must understand why bad things happen in the first place. The reason we have pain, problems, difficulties, heartaches is all because of sin. God never wanted us to live in a world of sin; He created humankind to live with Him on a perfect earth (Genesis 1-2). However, the sin of man changed all of this (Genesis 3).
Adam and Eve brought sin into the world and with it, pain, problems, tragedies, and heartaches. Even natural disasters such as tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes are a result of the fall of man (Genesis 3:17-19). Every person's sinful choices (including ours!) can cause trouble for us and everyone else. Every misfortune can be tied back to that first introduction of sin.
Before we blame God when things go wrong, we need to examine the situation and find the real root of the problem. Sometimes, the fault is our own—a natural result of our own sin or mistakes. Sometimes, the fault falls on another person's careless actions. Sometimes, the fault goes back to that original sin, which has rippled out into natural disasters, genetic disorders, and made life so fragile.
Have you ever heard an unbeliever blame God when something goes wrong? When a disaster happens, some non-Christians will suddenly "believe" in God's existence—only to blame Him by saying, “God is responsible for this disaster!” This line of thinking is absurd and illogical.
Even those who walk faithfully with the Lord will not be spared from troubles. Just think about Job, who served the Lord faithfully in all that he did, yet still experienced immense trouble in his life. These hardships were all part of God’s will for Job's life. Job proved his faithfulness by never accusing God of doing wrong. In fact, he praised Him (Job 1:20-22)—even when his wife told him he ought to curse God (Job 2:9).
Jesus told His disciples to have peace in Him, because "in this world you will have trouble." Thankfully, He followed up with, "But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We can turn to God and take comfort from Him during hard times too (Psalm 23).
God never promised to remove all pain from our lives, but He does promise to be with us as we go through them (Psalm 23:4; Ephesians 5:20). As Christians, we cannot and should not blame God. Sure, it's natural to feel frustrated when things are difficult or undeniably awful, but we need to understand that God is FOR us—not against us (Romans 8:31).
As counterintuitive as it sounds, instead of blaming God when things go wrong, we should strive to thank and praise Him for the opportunity to grow (Romans 12:12). God really does work out everything for the good of those who love Him and are called to do His will (Romans 8:28)—whether that is personal, emotional, or spiritual growth. When we understand that God knows what's best for us, we can start to see His bigger perspective, and we can go to Him for comfort (Proverbs 18:10).
God only allows bad things to happen for divine, righteous purposes. While difficult to endure, harsh living or working environments, death, financial struggle, etc. will all contribute to our continual spiritual development to become more effective followers of Christ and prepare us for the future. Our pain and suffering give us opportunities to strengthen our relationship with God and relate to others who suffer (Romans 12:15; Galatians 6:2). God does not allow bad things to happen for no reason; all suffering and pain has a point.
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." —James 1:12
We cannot charge God with making mistakes because He literally cannot do evil. It goes against His very nature; He is 100% good all the time (Psalm 145:9). Instead of blaming God, let's take the attitude of Job and praise the Lord. After Job passed the test, God blessed him with even more cattle, resources, and children than he had before (Job 42:12-17).
God knows what He's doing, and we can trust Him. When bad things happen, it's OK to cry out to Him in sorrow or frustration for He is our comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; Psalm 55:22). Remember that God works out everything according to His will and that no pain we ever go through will be wasted.
Personal problems, tragedies, natural disasters, and the like can all be traced back to the first sin (Genesis 3:17-19). We should not blame God or insinuate that He's made a mistake, because He can do no wrong. Even when disaster strikes, God is in complete control. God hasn't promised to shield us from ever having hard times, for those trials and tribulations are a part of our spiritual development to become more Christlike (James 1:2-4, 12). It’s OK to cry out to God in frustration while also remembering His sovereignty and wisdom. Instead of blaming God when a disaster happens, strive to praise Him for the opportunity to grow (Ephesians 5:20). God loves you unconditionally and will work out everything perfectly according to His will (Romans 8:28).
Vivian loves learning, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She is dedicated to helping people learn more about Jesus and is ready to help in any way she can. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, cooking, drawing, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, you can find her soaking up the sunshine or going on an adventure.
